Heaven in Your Eyes
by l0x0r
Summary: Ryoga has seen Hell, but now he must journey through it once again if he wishes to find his Heaven.
1. Echoes, Part 1

I do not own Ranma ½

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**Heaven in Your Eyes**

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It had been a month since the attempted wedding between Akane and Ranma. It had been a chaotic event which seemed to be a microcosm for the lives and relationships of the people surrounding Ranma. However it had unknowingly been a catalyst as well. While the two were still not wed, it was almost painfully obvious how deeply and genuinely Akane and Ranma loved one another. On some basic, instinctual level, all the participants in the failed ceremony knew that Ranma was no longer slipping away from them, he was completely gone.

But like a motor burning through the last few drops of fuel, the chaos and violence in Nerima had gone into a fever pitch as the inhabitants who had a vested interest in Ranma began to recognize that the war of attrition for his love was far past the point of being won.

The battles between the fiancés and enemies surrounding Ranma had become more frequent, more dangerous, and more desperate. Strangely enough the Tendo Dojo was perhaps the only area unaffected by this change since the focus of the competition had changed from winning Ranma to outright elimination of the competition.

The fiancés knew that they had lost, subconsciously at least, and they were out for blood. Ukyo was relying on her bindings not to hide her sex, but rather to keep her cracked ribs courtesy of Shampoo from becoming more damaged. Mouse was nursing a broken hand thanks to Kodachi, and Tatewaki was bald thanks to … well actually no one really knew why Tatewaki was bald, but it was definitely a bad sign.

Without any idea of the tensions simmering in Nerima, Ryoga was returning after a month long trek through the Japanese hinterlands. He had spent the time in a state of almost total isolation, by choice for once; the wild flora and fauna his only company. He had truly welcomed the silence and solitude of his journey because it had allowed him time to dwell on the issues most important to him without the possibility of interruption. These issues being Ranma, Akari, and Akane, specifically how he truly felt about these people.

Ranma, the person who had occupied Ryoga's thoughts for the past several years, Ryoga's enemy, the one whom Ryoga blamed for every evil which befell him. Every time Ryoga felt a negative emotion, hate, anger, sadness, depression, all of it stemmed from the archfiend Ranma. However the more he fought Ranma face to face and not just in his imagination, the longer Ryoga actually interacted with Ranma, the more that Ryoga realized that while Ranma was far from perfect, he was not the demon that Ryoga had mentally built him up to be.

Ryoga had come to realize that Ranma was basically a regular guy, one with faults and imperfections, but one with assets as well. Over the previous months, and especially following the weakness moxibustion fiasco, Ryoga's and Ranma's relationship had changed from one of enemies to one of rivals with the potential for friendship. Ryoga wasn't sure whether he and Ranma could ever truly be friends so long as Akane was in the equation, but he doubted that he would ever make the mistake of believing Ranma to be his enemy ever again.

As for Akari, while it seemed like the possibility of a relationship was present, Ryoga was not so sure. Akari was a nice girl, but whenever he was with her, he felt almost like she was a surrogate for Akane, a consolation prize, hell she even looked just like Akane.

He supposed that he root of the problem was that he just didn't know enough about Akari. She seemed nice and she enjoyed raising pigs, which seemed to be the basis for her acceptance of his cursed side. But in a way Ryoga felt like his curse was almost immaterial to Akari, like she would have felt the same whether he had it or not, or even if he had something even worse; almost as if the only important factor in choosing a boyfriend was whether they could defeat her pig or not. It didn't really seem fair to try and build a relationship where he viewed her as a substitute for Akane and she viewed him as being acceptable because he met her basic criteria for a mate.

So deep in his heart Ryoga knew that his relationship with Akari was superficial at best, but this led him to reflect on the complicated circumstances surrounding himself and Akane.

At heart Ryoga was a romantic, when he was younger, he had been fascinated with epic tales of adventure and romance. He had come to idolize the concept of love, how two people could care deeply for one another, complimenting each other's strengths and compensating for each other's weaknesses. In short in Ryoga's mind, true love could take two people and create a union, a connection between them that gave them strength no matter the distance between them, or the odds they faced. Even if the whole world were against them, two people in love could stand firm and so long as they had each other, it was enough.

Ryoga had spent years ruminating on love and knew that without it he was less than a man, somehow incomplete. Akane had been the first person with whom Ryoga felt the possibility for a relationship based on love. But how had he approached the opportunity he had been granted? With lies and hypocrisy. Yes, he showered Akane with gifts when he was lucky enough to find her, he complimented her at every opportunity, and she was the first thing he thought of every morning and the last thing every night.

But as of late Ryoga had begun to wonder if such acts stemmed from his feelings of true love, or from his sense of shame. Every time he met with Akane he lied to her, he lied by not revealing the truth about his … condition.

Every time he appeared as P-chan, Ryoga knew that he abused Akane's trust, and every moment he kept silent about P-chan, he betrayed her. It was true he had never tried to take advantage of his being Akane's pet, but the liberties allowed pets are vastly different from the liberties allowed other people. P-chan had been Akane's confidant, she had told him her hopes, her dreams, her fears, and her secrets; safe in the knowledge that he was merely a dumb animal, incapable of truly judging her or sharing her private information with others. The fact that he had slept with her and had been present while she had been nude only exacerbated his breach of her trust.

Ryoga knew that true love could not be built upon lies, but he feared Akane's reaction when she learned the truth. She was his first and so far most passionate love, so he was terrified of losing the chance at such a relationship. But Ryoga was also aware that the longer he delayed in revealing the truth, the greater his breach of Akane's trust it would seem and the less likely she would grant him her forgiveness.

He had thought long and hard about his choices during his time alone and Ryoga had come to a decision, he would reveal his secret to Akane. If she forgave him then their love was meant to be, if she rejected him … well the world was a big place to get lost in. Ryoga was certain that after a little while, say fifteen to twenty years, he would be ready to look for love again.

Fortunately for his resolve, he had reached his decision just as he reached the outskirts of Nerima. Unfortunately for Ryoga, Akane was not the first person he stumbled upon.

Evening had fallen, the sun had just dipped below the horizon but the streetlights had yet to come on. Ryoga was hopeful that he would be able to make it to the Tendo dojo in a week, maybe less. However he was stopped in his tracks as a horrible cackle bounced through the canyon the high rise buildings on either side of the street created.

"Oh hohohoho. I see that tonight I have been blessed. The foul fiend who so often troubles Lord Ranma has crossed my path. If I rid the world of your presence, I'm sure that Lord Ranma will be so thankful that I will be buried under the weight of his praises." Proclaimed a female voice which seemed to echo from all directions around Ryoga.

Ryoga instantly went on alert; only one woman had a voice which so masterfully blended seduction and insanity, Kodachi. He released the pack from his back and slipped into a solid defensive stance, scanning the nearby area for the crazy Kuno. While he had a fairly strict policy against fighting girls, Ryoga knew that Kodachi was unpredictably insane. That unpredictability combined with her skill and years of practice meant that if he failed to take her seriously as a threat, there was the possibility that she could actually do a lot of damage to him.

With a familiar cackle, Kodachi swept out of the semi-darkness, dressed in a leotard which had a lower neckline than her older version, with gymnastic clubs in either hand. She was fast, almost as fast as Ranma, in an instant she was in striking distance of Ryoga. He dodged her first swing, but she quickly spun and delivered a blow to his right shoulder. The club burst into a collection of splinters, revealing the now bent metal bar that had been embedded in its depths.

Ryoga shrugged off the blow and took the momentary diversion to grab Kodachi by the wrist.

"What are you attacking me for?!" he asked.

She struggled for a moment against his concrete grasp before responding, "It's simple really, Lord Ranma is my one true love, and anyone who wishes him harm is thus my enemy." She tensed momentarily, and then swung her remaining club at his crotch. Ryoga released Kodachi in order to block the club and in doing so shattered it as well, rendering it useless, while Kodachi skipped away out of his reach.

The streetlights chose that moment to come to life, bathing the scene in harsh artificial light.

"Listen, I don't know who told you that I wanted Ranma dead. It's true that because of him I have seen hell, I've faced humiliation and hardships you can't imagine. For years, my entire life it seems, I wanted him to share my pain, to know what it was like to live a life in hell, but that is in the past. I've grown up and realized that we all live through our own personal hells, his was different than mine, but it was just as bad." Ryoga said trying to placate the girl.

Kodachi didn't seem too interested in listening to what Ryoga had to say however since she gracefully leapt on top of a nearby streetlamp, pulling a gymnastic ribbon out of hiding. She twirled it expertly and then snapped it in Ryoga's direction. He easily caught it on his forearm, it wrapped around tightly, and if he had been weaker, it might even have left a bruise. However the body of someone who trains by having large boulders slam into them is a bit more robust than the average martial artist.

"I'm not going to fight you." Ryoga announced before pulling the ribbon tightly, hoping to cause Kodachi to lose her balance.

"That would make my victory much easier." She responded while using the momentum Ryoga had provided to leap to another streetlamp. Once she alighted she immediately reached down and unhooked a hoop, throwing it at Ryoga with all the strength she could muster.

She was so fast in her actions that Ryoga was only barely able to turn around in time to mostly dodge the hoop streaking at him. The edge of the hoop was razor sharp and sliced into his cheek before the hoop buried itself in the pavement of the street.

"I won't fight you, but I won't be defeated by you either. Give it up Kodachi, you might be faster than me, but I'm stronger than you and can take anything you can give out. Don't you realize this fight is pointless? Sure Ranma may not like me, but his fear of you is stronger than anything he might feel for me."

"Shut your foul mouth peasant!" Kodachi shouted, launching herself from the streetlamp at Ryoga. She began throwing quick kicks and even quicker punches. Ryoga had been right, she was faster than him, he was only able to block about half of her attacks, but he had also been right about her strength versus his toughness. Ryoga easily ignored the few attacks which did land, her blows feeling like the barest of breezes.

However when one of her small, fast fists connected with the cut in his cheek, pain blossomed in Ryoga's face and he instinctively lashed out. The assault caught Kodachi off guard since it was the first time since the conflict had begun that Ryoga had attacked. However she easily leapt over Ryoga's fist, as well as his head, continuing the leap into a summersault and then a series of beautifully executed flips which ended at yet another streetlamp.

She mounted it like a makeshift parallel bar, but before she could reach for the weapon that was more than likely stored there, Ryoga marched over to the streetlamp and after wrapping it in a bear hug, wrenched it from the ground.

Kodachi fell down to the street, but was quickly on her feet again, watching as Ryoga casually tossed the solid concrete pole aside as if it were nothing. Ryoga faced Kodachi, the absence of the light from the streetlamp casting long and dark shadows as the other streetlamps attempted to take up the slack of their fallen comrade.

Kodachi slowly straightened up and started adjusting her leotard. "I see that you were correct when you said that you were beyond my physical strength."

Ryoga began to relax, sensing that Kodachi had finally come to her senses.

"However," she continued, "I seldom rely only on my physical strength alone!"

So saying she rushed once again towards Ryoga, he moved to block her attack, but it was just a feint. Her other hand containing some sort of vial threw a powder into his face.

The powder flew into his eyes, nose, and even mouth since it had been open slightly at the time. The dust began to choke Ryoga and he bent over coughing, trying to clear his airways, while furiously wiping at his eyes in order to alleviate their burning.

"You said that Ranma has made you see hell." Kodachi said, standing over Ryoga, knowing that the fight was over and that she had won. "Well then I suppose that I have managed to ease your suffering while at the same time insuring that you will never threaten my precious Lord Ranma again."

Ryoga coughed deeply a final time and spit out a clump of mucous and powder. "What do you mean? What have you done to me?!" He croaked out.

"Why I've done you a favor, I've made sure that you will never be able to see hell again, much less anything else." Kodachi began to chuckle, and soon was engrossed in a full out maniacal laughter.

Ryoga cracked his eyes open and blearily saw Kodachi's figure towering over his still bent form. Then blinked and rubbed his eyes in order to get the dust out, but when he opened them again, it seemed like somehow the dust had gotten worse. Kodachi was now a collection of shadowy blurs against a backdrop of bright blurs.

Ryoga rubbed his eyes once more and opened them again. Then he tried to open them again. But it was no use; it made no difference if his eyes were open or closed, all he could see was blackness.

With a roar of rage Ryoga lashed out at where he thought Kodachi was standing. But his fist met nothing but air. He threw a few more punches, ever more wildly, but judging by the sound of Kodachi's laughter she was more than capable of dodging the ones which came anywhere near her. After a few minutes Ryoga slumped to the pavement in defeat.

"What … what did you do to me? How long does this last? How do I get my sight back?" He asked Kodachi in a defeated tone.

Her echoing laughter which grew ever more distant was his only answer.

Ryoga sat on the deserted street for several minutes, maybe hours before he decided that maybe an abandoned street in the middle of Tokyo, or maybe Hokkaido, was not the best place to come to grips with his situation. He stood up and began to walk back to where he thought he had dropped his pack. He ran into the side of a building, signaling that he had gone too far. So he turned around and ran into a lamppost.

Eventually Ryoga resorted to crawling around on his hands and knees, sweeping his arms in wide circles. After a few hours he eventually was able to be reunited with his worldly possessions. So he strapped his pack on again and stood up. He walked until he ran into the side of a building again, then he used the wall as a guide and he began to walk parallel to it.

Two days later the sun was warmly shining down on Nerima, but to Ryoga it was still the depths of the night he had fought Kodachi. The tips of his fingers were raw and left bloody smears as they rubbed against the walls we walked beside. He had been able to find food and water in his pack by feeling through the pockets, but he knew that he was running low.

Suddenly from right beside him a soft voice spoke out. "Ryoga is that you?"

Ryoga had not encountered any other people during his trek, at least no one who had come close enough to him to engage in discussion. The abrupt intrusion caused Ryoga to jump back and lose his balance as he hit the edge of the sidewalk he was walking along. He toppled over into the street and while he was lying there, the owner of the voice quickly moved to help him up.

"Oh my, Ryoga are you alright?" She asked.

Ryoga felt her hand on his arm, trying to provide him support so that he could get up. Not wanting to burden the girl with his weight, Ryoga got back to his feet under his own power.

"Kasumi, is that you?" He asked.

The girl in question seemed nonplussed by his question. "Yes of course it is me Ryoga. Are you alright?" She asked again in an even more concerned tone than before.

Ryoga was caught between politeness and his desperate need for help.

"Actually Kasumi, there seems to be something wrong with my eyes. I'm kind of having difficulty in seeing right now. Do you think that you could lead me to a hospital or something?"

"Oh my! Certainly! Please follow me." Ryoga felt nimble fingers pulling on his shirt sleeve and he began to follow the direction the tugging indicated.

Several minutes later they arrived at the nearest medical facility, the E.R. of Nerima General. Luckily for Ryoga, Kasumi had felt that his injury was too pressing to travel the extra distance to Dr. Tofu's clinic.

Kasumi guided Ryoga through what seemed to be a maze in the waiting room before pausing. "Here Ryoga, sit down here." She guided him into a stereotypical hospital waiting room chair. "I need to go over and sign you in."

Ryoga was left alone once again, surrounded by the murmur of several people, punctuated by the occasional cough, also waiting for the chance to see a doctor as soon as possible. Ryoga hated hospitals, the only times he had been in one were when he was injured to the point of near fatality, or when he was visiting someone who was traveling beyond that point.

There was a rustling of clothing as someone sat in the seat next to Ryoga. "The nurse at the station said that it will probably be at least 45 minutes before the doctor can see you. Hopefully I'll be done with this paperwork by then." Kasumi said in her soft manner.

Ryoga felt like the lowest kind of scum, of all the people he had to turn to for help, he was relieved that it was the kind Kasumi he had happened upon, yet at the same time he felt that he was abusing what little relationship he had with her by forcing her to help him in such a manner.

"I'm really sorry about this Kasumi; I'm sure that you were doing something important, and I just walked in and interrupted you. If you want to leave, then go ahead, I'll be fine." Ryoga said, putting his head in his hands so Kasumi wouldn't be able to see his expression.

Kasumi reached over and patted Ryoga's shoulder while responding, "Ryoga, you are a friend of Ranma's, and I'd like to think a friend of mine as well. My family can deal with my absence for a few hours right now, but I don't think you can. You can't see at all can you?" Ryoga nodded slightly, dejectedly. Kasumi continued, "Then you need me right now, especially to fill out these forms." She finished lightly. "By the way what is your personal information?"

Ryoga, still curled up in his chair, responded despondently, "In my bag, there should be a wallet in there with all the info you need."

Ryoga heard a rustling coming from near his feet, and then the scratch of a pen as Kasumi began to fill out the stack of papers.

The minutes stretched out like hours, the background noises of humanity falling into a background drone, which coupled with the aura of calmness emanating from Kasumi, combined to allow Ryoga to succumb to the sleep which he had been too afraid to indulge in since the … incident.

Ryoga abruptly awoke when he felt someone shaking his shoulder. "Come on Ryoga, the doctor it's your turn." Kasumi said, putting a hand on his elbow to assist his standing up.

Ryoga felt for and found his pack, he slipped it on, then followed the familiar tug on his sleeve. After several turns and twists, leaving the sound of a full room behind, Kasumi stopped and led Ryoga into another chair, this one much more padded and supposedly more comfortable than the ones in the waiting room.

"Hello Mr. Hibiki." Said a masculine voice, "I'm Doctor Itoshiki, let's see what the problem is today." There was a rustle of papers, then a clicking sound. A hand grasped Ryoga by the shoulder, then a few moments of silence. "How long have you been having difficulties with your sight Mr. Hibiki?" There was another click.

"A couple of days." Ryoga replied, "I was having a fight with another martial artist and they threw some sort of dust into my eyes. Since then I've been like this."

The doctor hummed to himself for a moment, and then lightly grasped Ryoga by the head, tilting it against a cold metal plate. "Please hold your head steady against this rest. There was another clicking sound and the small humming of an exhaust fan. "Look up please, now down … left. Now look to the right, now up again please. Now look straight ahead. Hmmmmmm." The click sounded again, followed by the scratching of writing. "You can lean back again."

The scratching of writing went on for a few more minutes, accompanied by the creak as the doctor shifted in his chair. Ryoga wasn't sure where he should be focusing his unseeing eyes so he sat where he was uncomfortably, hopefully looking at the floor.

The scratching stopped. "Mr. Hibiki, I'm going to order some further, more in depth tests, but from my preliminary analysis, it looks like there has been significant damage to your optical nerve. I'm afraid that your condition might be permanent."

Ryoga's mind blanked out, the word permanent echoing through his consciousness. Permanent, as in not ever going to be getting better, as in never being able to see again, permanent meaning that on top of his turning into a pig, as well as his hopeless sense of direction, he had lost perhaps his most important connection with the world, his sight.

Now he would become hopelessly lost without the benefit of being able to at least see where he was, and what would happen when he turned into P-chan? He already had almost insurmountable problems with being a pig, but how would a blind pig ever survive in the wild?

Ryoga would never remember the next several minutes, during that time Kasumi and the doctor had a long discussion, during which they set up an appointment for further tests. It made no impact on Ryoga. The next thing he was aware of was being once again outside the chemical smelling hospital, being led once more by the kind Kasumi.

Suddenly it was too much for him, something inside Ryoga burst. He shook off Kasumi's touch and began to run blindly away. He distantly heard the Tendo girl call out after him as he ran, but he paid her cries no mind as he ran as fast has he could. There was the sound of cars suddenly braking, horns blaring, and tires squealing. Ryoga didn't pay any attention to them either. He slammed into something metallic, but shrugged it off. He kept running as fast has he could, randomly changing direction after every impact with something else.

He hit a wall and while he couldn't see the wall's breaking point, he was still Ryoga Hibiki, so using his brute strength to break on through to the other side. Then there was another wall, and another. No matter what the obstacle though, Ryoga either went through it or bounced off it. Hours later he had left the city, no longer surrounded by walls of concrete and the sounds of humanity, but rather the songs of birds and the splintered remains of the trees he had run into.

Ryoga fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. He was lost and alone, it was cold and dark. He suddenly remembered all the other times in his life, at home, lost and alone in a dark and cold house, alone in a dark and cold classroom, alone and cold in the dark wilderness. For his entire life Ryoga had been alone, alone in the dark, alone in the cold. And now he knew that he would be lost and alone in the cold darkness for his entire life.

Ryoga's figure became engulfed in a thick purple glow, growing ever more opaque. The area around him began to first steam, and then burn as his aura expanded. The remains of trees burned, and then vaporized as Ryoga unleashed his despair, anger, and depression in one cathartic burst.

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Several hours after Ryoga had run away from Kasumi, night had fallen and Kasumi had returned to her family's dojo after searching as much of the town as she could, asking after the lost boy. While there were numerous signs and sightings of his passing, she was unable to locate the actual boy.

The full moon was rising as Kasumi reached the gate to her home, when the western sky was suddenly lit by a bright purplish light which drowned out the dying light of the day's sun. A huge beam shot out of the distant forests of Japan and raced up into the sky. It stretched higher and higher, Kasumi watched stunned as it showed no signs of slowing or stopping, but rather it almost seemed to accelerate as it clipped the moon.

The light, which scientist would later explain as an asteroid traveling at near the speed of light which had vaporized over Japan, igniting the chemicals it had left in its trail, died away, leaving a crescent hole in the moon through which stars shown. The night seemed darker than it had been, and much lonelier as Kasumi softly muttered, "Oh Ryoga…"


	2. Careful With that Axe, Eugene

I do not own Ranma ½

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Ryoga awoke, or maybe he had never truly been asleep, but had just regained his awareness. It was difficult for him to tell. He was walking, probably; in the years of being lost, always traveling and on the move, walking had become an almost involuntary muscle movement for Ryoga. Other people breathed and pumped blood without thought, Ryoga walked.

Ryoga wasn't entirely sure he was walking due to the fact that his entire body was numb, a numbness which transcended a limb falling asleep due to blood flow interruption. No this sense of not being able to feel, it seemed to originate from his soul and was so profound, it affected his physical body.

Ryoga was numb, and he was numb to the fact that he was numb. He didn't care if he was walking, where he was walking, whether it was night or day, or even if he were awake and dreaming, or dead and remembering.

Nothing mattered to Ryoga; he had left behind any sense of feeling, of emotion. He wasn't sad or depressed, he wasn't angry or vengeful, and he definitely was not happy or even cheerful, he was simply exhausted, too exhausted to feel anything.

Dimly and slowly some physical sense of feeling returned, and Ryoga found out that he was indeed walking, at least if the frequent tripping over unseen rocks and roots, as well as the even more common bouncing off trees was any indication of movement. Ryoga wondered abstractly how long he had been walking. Had it been for minutes, hours, days? Without any visual references, Ryoga was dependent upon his other senses to determine the passage of time, how often he slept, how many times he became hungry, and the temperature of the sun on his skin versus the coldness of the moon.

Without these however, lost to his numbness and his noninterest, Ryoga was unable to gauge the length of time, whether he had been walking a few minutes, or an eternity. To Ryoga, time had lost its meaning, he simply walked on, lost in a Sisyphean drudge, finding a numbing and cold comfort in the abstract knowledge that he had just finished a terrible ordeal, and when he came fully to his senses, when he had finished walking back down the hill, the only thing waiting for him was another terrible ordeal, but right at that moment, lost in his numbness, perhaps he was the closest he would ever be to being happy.

Ryoga dimly was aware of this, and as the numbness slowly left his body and his mind, he struggled every second in hopes it would last longer. Every nerve ending which began to scream out in pain of being overused, first to expel vast amounts of energy in a shi-shi-hokodan, then demanded without respite to continue to move for who knows how long, was an indicator that Ryoga was returning to Earth. He knew that once he could entirely feel again, what little comfort he had found in the numbness, the absence of feeling would be washed away in the waves of pain, anger, depression, and fear.

But time, that imperfect healer which only scabs the deepest of scars, it would not allow Ryoga his respite for long. After a time, every step became an agony, every tree he came into contact with became courser and more painful, every stumble became a little longer; until his foot caught a root, and Ryoga's body decided that it had gone far enough.

Ryoga crashed to the ground, the fallen leaves from seasons past making a poor cushion for the hard soil below. With the impact, Ryoga became fully aware once more. Aware that he was cold, alone, and blind; aware that he was lost and for the first time in years that scared him; aware that he was crying, and had been for some time.

He dug his fingers into the ground in pain and frustration. His whole body was in fiery pain, but such excruciating misery paled in comparison to the agony of his mind. As if to provide a coup de grace to any vestiges of Ryoga's happiness or contentment, the first drops of rain began to fall through the leaves of the forest he was prostrate in. They went unnoticed by Ryoga until the rainfall had increased in density to the point where it was pounding down with near sleet like intensity.

Ryoga's transformation was triggered, and while his skin, muscles, and bones shrank and realigned themselves, he allowed the brief intensification of pain to overwhelm him and returned to unconsciousness once more.

Hours later when he awoke, the rain was still pounding down, with only a minor lessening in intensity. His prison of soaked clothing had been in the rain too long and had become saturated to the point they provided no real protection, only the added unpleasantness of a heavy weight bearing down on the small piglet.

Ryoga considered leaving his pile of clothes for a moment, but quickly discarded the idea. While being stuck under them was unpleasant, he was a powerless animal in the wild suffering from a directionally challenging curse compounded by the addition of being blind. He was terrified that if he abandoned his clothes, within minutes his Hibiki nature would kick in and he would be nothing more than a wandering and weak meal.

An eternity later the rain decreased to a trickle, then ended completely, only the occasional drop of accumulated water from the leaves of the trees making a sound in the freshly washed forest.

Ryoga waited a few more minutes, thinking of all sorts of unpleasant ways for him to die if he was unable to somehow transform back into his human form. There was the obvious being eaten by something larger; baring that there was the possibility of starvation, or even dehydration; but the one which Ryoga feared the most for some reason, was tumbling off some sort of precipice and dying of the bludgeoning fall that would result from it.

He had come to the conclusion that so long as he remained a pig, there was about zero possibility of his survival. So screwing up his courage, and moving as slowly as possible in order to minimize the possibility of becoming lost, Ryoga maneuvered himself out of his clothes, and over to his backpack.

Being a victim of Jusenkyo, Ryoga never went anywhere without at least one thermos of hot water in his pack. Of course he had last stocked his supplies, including his hot water, several days ago, and there was likely no way that the water was still warm enough to trigger his transformation, but even the slimmest of hopes was better than the surety of his demise if he stayed as he was.

Sniffing around his backpack, always with some part of his body pressed against it in order to make sure he didn't get separated from it; Ryoga eventually located the exterior pocket which he kept his water supply in.

Lacking thumbs or even fingers for that matter, the button holding the flap covering the pocket closed was impossible for him to easily open. For several long minutes Ryoga tried to tease the flap one way and then the next with his teeth. But he had purchased the pack long ago based upon its reliability and ruggedness so the material refused to budge. Growling in frustration, Ryoga grabbed a mouthful of the pocket, feeling the cold metal cylinder inside rolling around, and jerked his head from side to side. With one final frantic jerk, Ryoga heard a loud and ragged tear as the wet material finally gave way.

The cold metal thermos slipped out of the pack and bounced off the ground, rolling a few inches away. Ryoga sniffed it until he found the thin line of separation where the cap and the body of the thermos met. He pawed at it with his front hoof, which resulted only in the thermos rolling a few more inches away. He then tried to bite on the cap, but the stainless steel thermos proved to be too frictionless for him to get a good purchase on it.

Running out of ideas, Ryoga reared up on his hind legs and brought his weight down on his front hoofs, hopefully near where the split was. This finally overcame the friction of the cap, and allowed for the separation to increase to an inch in length. This was enough for Ryoga to finish the job with his snout.

With the cap finally off, Ryoga was faced with one final obstacle, the plastic screw top which had been lightly but firmly put in place while he was human, was now sealed tighter than a bank vault. He tried to turn it using his mouth, but only succeeded in putting shallow scratches in the plastic with his teeth as the entire thermos rotated. Ryoga then tried to put his body weight on the metal portion of the thermos and turn the plug, this proved equally ineffective.

He struggled for the next hour attempting to open the thermos, until his teeth were bloody, and in the case of one of his molars, broken. Finally, the plastic screw broke loose and after that it was a relatively easy process to remove it entirely.

As the last threads cleared the thermos, water rushed out and over the piggish face of Ryoga, ice cold water. The slim chance, his final chance, had failed him. This caused Ryoga to become very depressed, he had until that time been able to use the tasks before him to block out the majority of his issues, but this turn of events caused all the stressors in his life to come crashing down upon him. Once again a purplish aura began to surround Ryoga, although one much smaller due to his porcine stature and his weakened condition.

His situation, the amount of effort he had just gone through for no purpose, his failures as a fighter, and as a human being, all rushed down upon Ryoga, his depression fueling a shi-shi-hokodan and warming up the surrounding area. With a sudden explosion, the little amount of water still in the thermos exploded in a near steam state.

The boiling water covered Ryoga and in a moment he regained his human form. For the first time since he had heard Kasumi's kind voice offering him support, Ryoga felt that things were becoming better. Minutely of course, but at least his situation was not as dire as it had been a few minutes previously.

Deciding that he did not wish to be dependent any further on natures capriciousness, Ryoga started to try and some sort of shelter. He gathered up his clothes and quickly put on his pants, socks, and shoes. They were soaked through, but they were better than blindly stumbling barefoot and blind through a forest. He wrung out his shirt and put it on as well, but after noticing that the neck was much too tight, turned it around and put it on properly.

Ryoga picked up his thermos, but it had been subjected to too much abuse, first via his teeth and then by exploding, for it to be of any real further use. He discarded it, and then picked up his backpack, securing it to his back before starting out in a random direction.

After about the tenth tree, Ryoga began to walk with his arms out in front of him, and after about the ninth root, he took very short and hesitant steps. This reduced his usual travel time vastly, but somehow, possibly owing to some sort of affinity to rock, after only two hours of effort, Ryoga found himself in a mountain valley. Of course he didn't realize it, save for the lessening of trees in his way, and an increase in the amount of rocks he stumbled over.

Distantly Ryoga heard the sound of thunder, and he became a little more frantic in his movements, hoping against hope that there was not another rainstorm on the horizon. His foot caught on a rock and he went tumbling to the ground again, however this time he kept falling well past the point he should have impacted the ground. He hit some sort of ramp rather hard, and slid down it a few feet, disrupting some small rocks which bounced down the slope with him.

Ryoga climbed to his feet, finding the ground to be much less obstructed than he was used to. His walked for a little distance, and finally as the sound of thunder and rain came from the direction he came from, he noticed that the sounds echoed from all directions around him. He had done it; he was safe in a cave from the elements.

* * *

Meanwhile Kasumi was quite concerned. When she had found Ryoga, he had been in a rather disheveled condition; his clothes had been torn and stained with blood as well as dirt and other grime. While there had been a few times when Kasumi had seen the boy in worse condition, usually he seemed to be at least somewhat concerned about his appearance. But this time he had seemed to be in a daze, wandering down the sidewalk as if a stranger in a familiar place.

She had called out to him almost involuntarily, her instincts telling her that there was something wrong with the boy, and that if there was any way she could assist him, somehow lessen his pain, she should do it. Then she found out about his injury, and her heart truly went out to him.

Kasumi knew that Ryoga had a difficult life, the fact he was always lost balanced out minutely in her opinion by his ability to travel where he wanted with no real restrictions or obligations. While cleaning she had often come across the gifts that Ryoga had left for Akane, carelessly misplaced by her younger sister, and had often fantasized about the places of their origin. Buying the miniature of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, purchasing the jewelry made of Venetian glass in Venice, acquiring the Matryoshka doll in Moscow. Whenever she had come across such priceless trinkets, Kasumi had felt a twinge of jealousy that someone could be free enough to be able to globetrot.

But such envy was minute and very short-lived when she considered the burden Ryoga had to bear in order to be so carefree. He had no responsibilities, no obligations to be sure, but he also had no real contact with his family, no real home, and a very informal education at best. Now with the added weight of having to be blind, no matter how temporary the condition was, all the troubles which plagued Ryoga were multiplied.

After their trip to the emergency room, and his abrupt departure, Kasumi had searched for several hours for Ryoga, but while his trail of destruction had been relatively easy to follow, it had abruptly ended as if the boy had disappeared from the face of the Earth. Kasumi had given up the search at that point and had returned to the Tendo Dojo, just as darkness was falling, and had been at the gate when she witnessed the massive display of depression which Ryoga had permanently engraved in the night sky.

Feeling deeply saddened for the lost boy, Kasumi had entered the house, and had found that while the inhabitants were curious as to her whereabouts, owing to the convenience of delivery, they had averted the worst of the consequences of her absence.

The Tendos and the Saotome families had just finished their meal when Kasumi entered, and the worried frown on Soun's face quickly transformed into relief when he once again beheld his eldest child.

"Kasumi there you are! We were beginning to worry, a few minutes longer and I would have started the search for you. Next time you plan to be out so late, you should call ahead young lady."

Kasumi was abashed at her father's well intended criticism, and apologetically replied, "I'm sorry father, but I meet Ryoga while I was out running errands …"

Ranma looked up quickly from the remnants of his meal, "Ryoga! You should be more careful than to follow him around, it's a miracle you got back here at all."

"Oh well, actually it was the opposite," Kasumi replied, "Ryoga was following me, you see he was in a fight, with Kodachi I believe, and during the fight, his eyesight was damaged. So I took him to the local hospital where unfortunately they weren't able to do anything for him right now, but have scheduled tests in two weeks to better assess his injury."

The news was received with varying degrees of interest by the family; Mr. Saotome ignored what was being said in favor of stealing the last grains of rice from Ranma's plate, Mr. Tendo was on the verge of tears over how saint-like his daughter had become, Nabiki listened with half an ear, more interested in the television she had turned on after diner, while Ranma and Akane seemed to pay the most attention.

"Unfortunately, Ryoga left soon after we finished at the hospital, and I think the poor boy got lost." Kasumi continued, "He must have felt very bad about that, because he seems to have just put a hole in the moon."

Once Kasumi mentioned that part of the story, she had the attention of everyone at the table. They all turned to regard her with wooden, disbelieving expressions. Kasumi in turn wasn't entirely sure what she had said which was so strange, and started to become self conscious under the intense scrutiny of the rest of the room.

"Kasumi dear," Mr. Tendo said, "did you just say that Hibiki boy damaged the moon?"

"Yes father, I believe he did that one chi attack of his which uses his depressive energy … I always thought that it seemed rather unhealthy to focus on such negative thoughts personally, but…"

Kasumi trailed off as everyone else in the room suddenly ran out into the backyard to verify for themselves that while the moon was full, there was now a crescent piece missing from it.

Ranma turned to Kasumi with one of the most serious expressions he had ever shown the girl on his face. "You said you saw where the blast originated from?"

Kasumi walked out of the house to join the rest of the family. "Yes," she replied, pointing to the west, "it came from that direction."

Ranma turned to the two fathers who were still staring into space dazedly, "If Ryoga did do that, then I'm afraid of what it did to him. If he isn't dead, then he probably is wishing he was. I'm going to go look for him." With that, the young martial artist leapt to the roof, and began to travel in his own way in the direction Kasumi had indicated.

The two fathers continued to stare at the moon, muttering something about monstrous amounts of power.

Nabiki had returned to the living room and had changed the channel to the local news, where they talking animatedly about the mysterious damage to the moon and the local countryside, with several references to U.F.O.s and aliens.

Akane looked after the retreating Ranma and said, "Oh I hope Ranma finds him, and I hope Ryoga's okay…"

Kasumi turned to follow Akane's gaze as Ranma disappeared into the distance. "I hope so too Akane. I hope so too."

* * *

Yes I did steal a line from the movie Johnny Got His Gun. I regret nothing.


	3. One of These Days

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

It had been a week since Kasumi had last seen Ryoga, and her concern for the boy had grown into outright worry. Ranma had dashed off to find Ryoga the night of the incident, but he had returned empty handed. While the crater and other destruction which Ryoga had created as a result of his blast was easily found, any other traces of the lost boy, including where he could have gone, were nonexistent.

Every day since then, after school and late into the night, Ranma continued to search for Ryoga, widening his search area every night with no discernable results. He had even been joined by others on his search, Akane the second and third days. She still retained hope for Ryoga, however her inability to keep up with Ranma's pace in searching left her with the distasteful realization that she was hindering rather than helping the search so by the third day she had silently supported Ranma while he went out to search even farther afield.

Ukyo had joined in for a few hours every day, when she could find the time from her restaurant. The chef was of the opinion that Ryoga was too strong to ever be brought down so she was relatively unconcerned about his condition or his location. She was sure that in no time at all, he would be aimlessly wandering around Nerima once more, in his usual manic depressive state.

Even Shampoo had lent her vaunted tracking skills to the search, but these too had proved ineffective against Ryoga's ability to lose himself. Of course Shampoo might not have tried as hard as she could have, since both she and her grandmother were of the opinion that the reason there was no trace of Ryoga to be found, was because there was no longer any Ryoga to be found. They felt that he had succumbed to the ultimate fate of all users of the shi-shi-hokodan who failed to control their emotions. Eventually they would come to depend on the move, not realizing that with every outburst, their depression increased, eventually drawing them into an ever deepening spiral of anger and sadness, until their life was ended either voluntarily, or merely tragically as the power they possessed surpassed the power they could contain.

The rest of the residents of Nerima didn't really seem to care one way or the other towards Ryoga's condition. Of course they had been impressed by his ability to put out enough power to damage the moon, at least at first. After all, with enough practice and effort, anyone who could harness chi could accomplish the same feat. Indeed it wasn't even much of a hole in the moon; it was a glancing blow at best, which could only really be seen when the moon was full.

So all in all, the mood in Nerima was one of business as usual. Since the fiancés were fighting each other more, and leaving Ranma mostly to his own devices, his hours spent in the woods west of Tokyo went unbothered, and since Ryoga was so often lost for long periods of time, his absence was hardly noticed. Indeed the only people who seemed to care about Ryoga's absence were the residents of the Tendo Household. Cologne had of course expressed an interest in Ryoga's condition, since he had been a rather promising student of hers. However she had quickly resigned herself to his death and had moved on.

The two fathers had seemed quite impressed by the amount of power Ryoga had put out, however they too quickly came to the conclusion that Ryoga had perished in the blast, only they refused to say so out loud in order to not upset Akane. Nabiki shared her father's opinion of Ryoga's fate, and quickly wrote him off as well.

Akane and Ranma were the only ones who seemed to be showing both concern and hope for the lost boy, outwardly at least. Inwardly Kasumi was as concerned if not more than her sister and her fiancé. While she had informed them of Ryoga's disability, they seemed to be of the opinion that the loss of one's sight was a minor convenience, especially for someone of Ryoga's physical prowess.

Kasumi however had been a witness to just how affected by his blindness Ryoga was. When she had last seen him, he had already looked quite disheveled and somewhat malnourished. She could only imagine what kind of damage he had taken from his shi-shi-hokodan, and whether he had been eating right, or resting when he needed too.

She was worried enough that her ever present smile and aura of happiness and domesticity had faltered. She still attended the household chores, the cooking and cleaning, however now she did so with a small frown and the occasional worried wringing of her hands as she looked in the direction she had last seen Ryoga disappearing, hoping with each passing day that Ranma would return with good news.

But by the end of the week, with no word from Ryoga, Kasumi's mood had considerably worsened. She felt so useless in situations like this, where she lacked the connections or information available to her sister Nabiki to find someone lost, or the strength and endurance of a martial artist like her sister Akane who was able to travel great distances to physically look for the boy. In contrast, the only thing that Kasumi could do was to patiently wait until someone else solved the problem.

Her inability to aid in the search for Ryoga ate away at Kasumi until everyone in the household became aware of the change in the de facto matriarch. Clothes were folded, but not pressed. Food was well prepared, but it was blander than it had been. Even Kasumi's physical appearance suffered as sleepless nights translated into a somewhat more haggard appearance. Everyone hoped that Kasumi's malaise would soon come to an end, and that she would return to the normal, cheerful girl that everyone loved and took little notice of.

* * *

Ryoga was in hell. The sanctuary he thought he had found in the cave which protected him from the rain had betrayed him. For once since his ordeal had begun, he had finally figured out the exact amount of time which had passed. It had been an eternity.

At first Ryoga had felt fortunate that he had avoided the rain. He could hear it outside the opening he had stumbled into; first light and friendly, but eventually it transformed into a deluge where the drops of rain fell fast and heavy, and the wind had become a howling banshee, mad with anger at being denied its victim. Feeling safe in the cave, but cautious with no real way of knowing how close he was to the entrance, Ryoga made his way deeper into the Earth.

He traveled away from the noise of the storm for a few meters, marveling at the smoothness of the cave floor compared to the ground he had left above. Suddenly however his outstretched foot failed to meet solid ground and the boy went tumbling into the void. He wasn't sure how far he had fallen because on the way down he had bounced off the cave walls, or maybe floor, and he had suffered several bruises and bumps, including the one on his head which had left him unconscious.

Ryoga had awoken abruptly, his latest bruises and lacerations only exacerbating his pain from earlier. For an unknown amount of time he just laid where he had fallen, fully experiencing the extent of his physical agony, while wondering at just how extensive the fall had been. He could no longer hear the sounds of the storm raging, or anything else besides his own ragged breathing for that matter. Either he had been unconscious long enough for the storm to have passed, or he had fallen into another deep and forgotten part of the Earth.

In his style of life, Ryoga had been in many similar situations, finding himself lost in labyrinthian underground chambers, the type found across all continents. When he had been younger, caverns had posed one of the most difficult challenges to Ryoga, while they were rather aesthetically pleasing, he would wander them for days on end before the Hibiki curse would kick in and he would find himself still quite lost, but in a forest or some other location more hospitable to life. Ever since he had learned the breaking point technique however, Ryoga had just demolished cave walls until he once more was above ground.

But without his sight, he could not use his breaking point, and was faced with days or even weeks of wandering through the underground space in total darkness. Of course this would have been a major difficulty before, but now he was becoming if not scared, at least apprehensive. Usually when he was traveling, he had fairly ample opportunities to stock up on supplies necessary for survival, food, water, and other camping supplies. However he had not had the opportunity to resupply lately, being much more concerned with the loss of his sight, so he knew that he only had a few days worth of supplies left to him at best.

All this, as well as the realization that he would not be able to improve his chances by merely lying still in pain, went through his mind seconds after he woke up from his fall. With a resigned groan, Ryoga gained his feet, but he felt off balance and unsteady. Those feelings, coupled with his recent experience in wandering blind through a cave, convinced Ryoga that perhaps he should try crawling instead of walking. Of course it was not a very dignified thing to do, but Ryoga figured that there would be no one down in the cave to see him in such circumstances.

So Ryoga collapsed to his hands and knees, and with one shoulder in close proximity to the cave wall, he began to slowly crawl ahead across the icy cold stone floor. He quickly adopted a rather strange method of crawling after the first few times he found a wall in front of him with the top of his head, stopping every few seconds to wave one of his hands out in front of him. In this way he traveled for several hours perhaps before the twinges of hunger he had been experiencing erupted into outright voracity.

He stopped his trek and rested his knees, which were aching from the cold ground, by sitting down and unslinging his pack. He felt around inside it, recognizing the contents by touch alone. He quickly found the extent of his food supply; a pack of beef jerky, three cups of instant ramen, and a package of mints.

The lack of food was disappointing, but not surprising. What really worried Ryoga was the lack of water. He had found several plastic bottles in his pack, but they were all empty, and he had used his last emergency ration of water before in order to regain his humanity.

With no other option, Ryoga hoped that he would come across some water in the not too distant future somewhere in the cave, but his stomach couldn't wait, so he slowly chewed a few strips of jerky, saving the ramen for later.

With a sigh he repacked his backpack, pausing to extract his gloves he kept for when he traveled through colder climates. The cave was cold and while the floor for the most part was relatively smooth, the occasional stones he did come across where razor sharp. He had thought that he had avoided being scratched, but that was just the numbness seeping from the cold floor into his hands. Once he had stopped and began to work with his hands, the blood had returned to them and he began to feel the many cuts and scrapes he had suffered. There was a particularly nasty feeling gash on his right palm. So he put on his gloves, hoping that they would help protect his hands against both the cold and the rocks scattered across his path.

For several more hours maybe, Ryoga continued his arduous journey, seemingly forever crawling into the cold darkness. His knees eventually wore ragged holes in his pants from being dragged across the stone floor. The bruised and battered joints leaving small trails of blood after the boy from the many cuts they had suffered. The gloves he had donned also began to tear from the unusual stresses he was exacting on them. But the new injuries only piled upon the old ones, and faded into the dull sea of pain Ryoga was living in.

Eventually he became too exhausted to move anymore, and with a great sigh, Ryoga collapsed on the spot he had been crawling and with no other preparations, he fell asleep.

After some length of time he woke up because of something. But what had it been he wondered. Suddenly Ryoga realized he had heard something. The entire time he had been crawling, the cave had been as silent as a tomb, aside from the labored sounds he had been making. But now something else was making a sound, at regular intervals there was the sound of water dripping into a larger amount of water.

With the excitement born of desperation, Ryoga assumed his crawling position, his tired and aching muscles and joints protesting such exertions. He patiently waited until he heard the drip again, and then began crawling in the direction he thought he had heard the sound coming from.

Sometime later, he heard the drip again, this time to his left. He adjusted course and continued, but the drip came from behind him a while later. For hours he patiently stalked the elusive sound of water, until suddenly he stuck his hand into a shallow pool of ice cold liquid.

He quickly scooped up a handful of the liquid and greedily sucked it down, and almost as quickly spit it out again. It was water, but it smelled strange, and it tasted … minerally, for lack of a better word. Usually when dealing with a natural source of water, Ryoga used a water purification tablet to make sure that it was safe to drink. Unfortunately he had used the last of his tablets shortly before entering the outskirts of Tokyo, believing that he would have access to municipal water while he restocked his supplies.

How long had it been since he had last had a drink? Hours? Days? Suddenly Ryoga realized just how thirsty he was. Lacking any other alternative, he hoped for the best and began to choke down the foul tasting water. After he had drunk his fill, he filled up the empty bottles in his pack and began to crawl away, when he realized that in his search for the water, he had neglected to pay attention to the direction he had been going in. For all he knew, he was retracing his steps.

The possibility he was traveling in the wrong direction depressed Ryoga, but he was too tired, sore, and already overall depressed for him to summon the energy to harness his depression. Mentally shrugging his shoulders since he could do nothing about whether he was going in the right direction or not, he continued on his arduous way.

* * *

Hours, maybe days later, Ryoga was in an even worse position than he had been. The cave had become colder, almost arctic in temperature. He also had become weaker, and the pain he had been feeling had become so intense that even his bones felt as if they were aching. He had exhausted his food supply, chasing the last of the ramen flavor packets with the last half of a mint he had been saving, last time he had stopped to rest a few hours previously. In addition, the water he had, as foul as it was, was running out. He had one full bottle, and perhaps half another left.

Exhausted, Ryoga collapsed onto the floor, not noticing as the cut in his cheek reopened. He turned onto his back, his sightless eyes staring into the darkness as he began to consider the fact that this was perhaps his final journey. He had long ago figured out that he would likely die lost and alone, he had just never thought it would be so soon.

"Damn it!" He shouted out, "why me?!"

His voice bounced off the cave's walls and ceiling, running out into the darkness and twisting around the various stalactites and stalagmites, returning as a rather eerie "e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e"

Ryoga heard the response, and his face contorted into one of anger. "Are you laughing at me?! To hell with you!"

The cave replied, "fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu."

This only infuriated Ryoga further. He leapt up, well more stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall of the cave.

"Damn you! Damn you. I tried. I really did."

"id-id-id- id-id-id." The cave whispered.

"What do you know?" Ryoga shouted out. "What do you know about me?! All my life I wanted to be normal, go to school, play with friends, eat dinner with my family every night. But would you let me? No! "

"ho-ho-ho-ho-ho."

"All my life … all my life … I … I tried." Ryoga pleaded. "I tried. I was so lost, and when I was where I was supposed to be, I was always alone. I think I had a friend once. Or was he an enemy? I can't remember anymore. Everything is just so …"

Ryoga collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed by the laughter coming from the darkness. He was surrounded by the bullies of his youth and their deep laughter, mixed with the high pitched giggles of his classmates, and even the sardonic chuckle of his old teacher.

At first Ryoga covered his ears with his hands, but that didn't stop the laughter, or the beginnings of whispers which began to converse at a level where they were audible but unintelligible. In frustration, Ryoga began to punch the ground in front of him as hard as he could.

While the location he was hitting was not the breaking point for the mountain he had wandered into, it was the location of the minor fault line which ran under the mountain.

After several strikes which bruised and bloodied his fist, Ryoga felt the ground shake, and then he once again surrendered himself to unconsciousness when something large and heavy hit his head.

* * *

The rescue searchers from a nearby village found him because of the rocks which covered him, were in turn covered in his bright red blood. They quickly medevaced him to the nearest hospital where they began to pack ice around him to combat his 40 degree temperature.

They also connected him to IVs in order to restore his dangerously low fluid levels, and started him on a host of antibiotics in order to combat the easily detectable infections he was suffering from. In no time at all, Ryoga was lost amongst a mass of wires and tubes, the wires telling of his miserable and near death condition, the tubes hopefully applied in time to avert disaster.

It was late in the evening by the time the life saving skills of the dedicated ER doctors had stabilized the young man, and it was only then that they began to be concerned with discovering his identity. The searchers had found nothing with the boy other than the clothes he had been wearing. In his pockets, he had with him no wallet, no identification, only a partially filled out postcard addressed to a dojo located in Nerima. The doctors on duty decided that in order to uncover the mystery man's identity, they would contact the location of the address the next day during business hours.

So, tired by their ordeal, the doctors transferred the patient to the ICU where he would be monitored through the night by nurses informed to call the on duty doctor if there were any changes in the boy's condition. With that, Ryoga was left once more alone in the dark, the only sound his quiet breathing, and the occasional beeping of the machinery connected to him.

* * *

Lately with my increased writing activity, I have found that I know more words than the spellchecker on Microsoft Word. This makes me feel sad for some reason. Anyway, the chapter titles are the set list for Pink Floyd's 1972 movie, "Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii." In my opinion the best concert film ever made. The original made for release in the U.K. of course. While the director's edition does provide very interesting additional background, I feel that it breaks up the music. Thankfully the original film is in the special features section of the dvd.


	4. Saucerful of Secrets

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

The morning was waning, the afternoon hours sedately waiting for their turn. The sun was high in the sky, warm and friendly in its affection as it led nature in a celebration most people would call a pleasant day.

Kasumi sat alone in the kitchen of the Tendo household, as she contemplated the spectacle through a nearby window. With one hand she absently toyed with a cup of lukewarm tea, while using her other hand as a rest for her head. She had already finished the important chores of the day and was uncharacteristically reluctant to bestir herself in order to perform more chores whose real purpose was to provide her something to occupy her time rather than anything truly constructive.

The kitchen had long ago been cleaned of the mess caused by the preparation and consumption of breakfast. All the dirty cloths had been cleaned, dried, folded, and transported to their respective owner's rooms. The floors had been scrubbed, the bathroom cleaned, and the structural damage repaired.

Normally when she was finished with the routine tasks of the house, Kasumi would throw herself into the preparation of lunch. However Nabiki, Akane, and Ranma were all at school, and her father and Mr. Saotome had also left the house in order to do … something. They had seemed more preoccupied with removing themselves from the gloomy atmosphere which pervaded the house, than actually having definite plans once they were gone. So really there was no point in preparing lunch, especially since Kasumi had lost her appetite as of late.

Usually after lunch, or in this case in lieu of it, she would go to the local market and purchase whatever was necessary for that night's dinner, or at least go out and visit with her various acquaintances in the market and the nearby neighborhood. On occasion when she was feeling particularly idle, Kasumi would experiment with new recipes in order to bolster her repertoire so her menus didn't become dull and predictable.

However that morning Kasumi felt reluctant to engage in any of her usual activities. For the first time if a very long while she felt tired, and even possibly slightly overworked. Truthfully she was feeling morose, and it was due to Ryoga's continued disappearance.

Kasumi was many things, kind, loving, beautiful, but most people would single out her ability to care for others as her salient feature. Perhaps it had not always been so, but for almost as long as anyone could remember, Kasumi had put others before herself. Over the years many people had complemented her on that facet of her personality, often lamenting at the same time that such caring was becoming rare in the younger generations. But Kasumi was aware of the cause of her personality, she knew the cost, and wished it upon no one.

Many years ago, when she was only a very young girl, during a time which Kasumi remembered the sun shining everyday and spring lasting all year, her mother had been alive. But one abrupt day, Kasumi's mother had left. She had disappeared into that eternal silent night known as death. In a single moment, a monumental piece of Kasumi's world had fallen away, leaving only a gaping void, and emptiness which could never again be filled or diminished.

At that moment, Kasumi had realized just how fragile life was, how fragile love was. How it was possible to build your entire life around a person, and for them to suddenly disappear. Never to show you their smile again, never to again hold you tightly when you are scared, and never to wipe your tears away and tell you that everything was going to be alright.

Since that time, whenever Kasumi had met a new person, in the back of her mind there was always a question. What if this person turns a corner and I never see them again? Because of this, Kasumi had developed very few true friendships. To be sure she had scores of acquaintances, all of whom felt that their day was drastically brightened whenever Kasumi appeared. But if any of them were to disappear into the ether, their absence would not carve another ever open wound upon her heart.

Also, ever since her mother's death, almost every action on Kasumi's part had been done in order to make the Tendo home whole. To insure that it was a warm, clean, happy place where the Tendo family could relax and feel safe. A sanctuary for Kasumi's loved ones; a place left with reluctance and returned to with eagerness. Kasumi didn't want anyone else she loved to suddenly vanish like her mother had, so she tried to create the ideal environment so they would stay with her and be happy.

When Ranma had initially arrived, Kasumi had extended him her usual guarded friendship. But soon the young man had managed to defeat Kasumi's emotional barriers and she had come to consider him as a part of her family. Ranma had been the herald to an eclectic collection of individuals who Kasumi had come to care for. With each new friend or quasi-family member she made, Kasumi had slowly and gradually lowered her emotional defenses. She had begun to fully experience all the joys of relationships but without the threat of the pain they caused.

However, while she had been able to remain calm and collected during the trials in the past, secure in the almost unconscious certainty that everything was going to turn out alright, now that Ryoga was in danger, Kasumi could feel the pain from her mother's loss echoing through the years. During the other times of difficulty the residents of Nerima had always come together to resolve a crisis, confident in their ability to prevail. But this time the majority of the Nerimians had already written off the lost boy as a dead man. Where before Kasumi had felt the collective confidence in victory buoy her spirits, now she felt the almost certainty of defeat crush down upon her.

This had left Kasumi feeling morose, and caused her to reflect on the relationship she had Ryoga had enjoyed before his disappearance. It had been one of friendship, and from the surface, not a very deep one.

It had started out rather simply. Soon after Ryoga had first appeared to challenge Ranma, he had arrived at the Tendo dojo one morning. He had asked after both Ranma and Akane, but after hearing that they both were in school and not expected back for many hours, Ryoga had become uncomfortable and a bit apprehensive. On one hand he had successfully found the home of his rival and his love, but on the other hand it would be some time before they returned and if he left it would likely be weeks or even possibly months before he would be able to find his way back.

Kasumi had easily recognized Ryoga's dilemma and had invited him to wait in the Tendo home until school let out. Ryoga had gratefully accepted the invitation, and the friendship between Ryoga and Kasumi had been born. There had been perhaps dozens of occasions since when Ryoga had spent several serene hours relaxing at the Tendo home, more often than not in the company of Kasumi.

Ryoga had enthralled her with tales of far distant lands. Of how the freshly fallen snow in Siberia made it appear as if the world had been frosted in diamonds. He told her of how the winds in the Gobi desert created rivers of flowing sand which tumbled and cascaded as if they were water. He impressed upon her the oppressiveness of the humidity in the lush Amazon, as well as the desolate dryness of the awe inspiring Chilean mountains.

Kasumi in turn provided a sympathetic and interested ear to his tales. She marveled at his travels to strange and exotic lands, knowing that the style of life she had chosen precluded her from becoming anywhere as near well traveled as Ryoga. Then again, there were few who could ever claim to be even half as well traveled as the lost boy.

Ryoga in turn was captivated by the domesticity and tranquility which Kasumi exuded, always ready with a cup of tea, some simple snacks, and a sympathetic ear for him. To show his appreciation for her kindness, Ryoga had even begun to bring back small gifts for Kasumi from his travels, for the most part various spices and specialized cooking ingredients from the various countries he visited.

Overtime, as his relationship became less antagonistic with Ranma, Ryoga found that he looked forward more to his visits with Kasumi than with his altercations with his rival. For the first time in many years he had found something close to a home and for a time the silence was broken. The silence which stalked Ryoga whenever he was alone in the wilderness, as well as the silence which surrounded Kasumi as she went about her daily routine just as alone as Ryoga.

These ruminations occupied Kasumi's mind as she stared out the window at the various plants waving in the breeze outside, as well as the occasional bird which playfully flitted through the backyard. However, her morning tranquility was suddenly shattered by the ringing of the telephone.

With a reflex born of years of repetition Kasumi unconsciously sprang from her seat and gracefully raced to the telephone stand. Without hesitation she lifted the receiver and calmly stated into the mouthpiece, "Tendo residence."

The party on the other side of the line cleared his throat before responding. "Ah yes, is this the Tendo Dojo located in Nerima Tokyo?"

Kasumi was unfazed by the question; she had been involved in more than a few strange telephone conversations since Ranma had taken up residence with her family. "Yes it is. How may I help you?"

"Ah good. This is Dr. Tomoe at Kitakata Prefectural Hospital. We have recently admitted a patient we believe has ties with your dojo based upon a postcard we found in his pocket. Unfortunately due to the extent of his injuries we feel that it would be unwise to bring him out of sedation long enough to ask him who he is, and fear that even if we did, he wouldn't be coherent enough to answer any questions."

Kasumi felt a surge of hope in her chest. Could it be that Ryoga had finally been found? Somehow although she was felled with anxiety, she calmly responded, "Oh my! A little over a week ago a friend of the family did disappear and we have been trying to find him. His name is Ryoga Hibiki and he is about 173 centimeters tall. I'm not sure how much he weighs, but he is a martial artist and very muscular. He has black hair and very deep brown eyes. The last time anyone saw him he was wearing a yellow shirt and black pants, as well as a yellow and black bandanna."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before Dr. Tomoe responded, "Well, that describes our patient down to a t. Would it be possible if someone from your household comes to physically identify the patient? In addition it would be extremely helpful if you could provide us with a copy of Mr. Hibiki's records to make sure that he isn't allergic to certain medications, or has preexisting conditions which might complicate his recovery."

Kasumi didn't allow the surge of triumphal relief at the news that Ryoga had been found distract her from what the doctor was saying. Fortunately, when Kasumi had escorted Ryoga to the emergency room at Nerima General, she had found a rather extensive collection of documents in Ryoga's backpack. Everything from his birth certificate to his old school ID. But most importantly Kasumi had found a complete copy of Ryoga's health records as well as his insurance policy. She had used those documents to fill out the mountain of paperwork required for him to be seen. She hadn't had a chance to return the documents to Ryoga before he had bolted after leaving the hospital, so she had kept them in a drawer in her room.

"Yes," Kasumi enthusiastically replied, "I can come over right away; and have a complete copy of all his records. But please tell me doctor, how is he? Is Ryoga alright?"

Dr. Tomoe was silent and then hesitantly responded. "He's stable. That's all I'm really comfortable in saying at the moment, at least until we have established beyond a shadow of a doubt that the patient we have here is in fact Mr. Hibiki."

The feeling of elation Kasumi had been feeling suddenly transformed into worry. Ryoga had been found, but what if he was hurt? What had happened to him during the time he had been lost? She reached out and picking up the pen for the pad of paper next to the phone said, "If I leave right away I can be there if a few hours Dr. Tomoe. Could you please tell me the address of the hospital?"

She jotted down the address as well as the telephone number for the hospital, and names of the nurse and doctor on duty, then after a terse goodbye, she hung up the telephone. She ripped the top sheet from the pad and folded it up and placed it in her pocket, then wrote another note, this one addressed to her family informing them of the fact that Ryoga had been found, that she was traveling to Fukushima to see him, as well as directions to order out for dinner rather than waiting for her return.

She left the note on the table in the kitchen and then rushed upstairs to her room. She retrieved the stack of documents pertaining to Ryoga and carefully placed them in an overnight bag. She also retrieved a set of her father's old clothing as well as various toiletries. She knew that hospitals were geared toward treating a patient rather than allowing them to feel like a human.

She collected her wallet as well as her checkbook for the family account, and hoping that she hadn't forgotten anything, rushed out the house and toward the nearby train station. Kasumi was out of breath after almost jogging the full fifteen minutes to the train station, but she didn't pause in purchasing a train ticket for Kitakata. Thankfully she was left waiting only a few minutes before the appropriate train pulled into the station.

Soon she was on her way to the north, to find her friend, and to hold on tight so she didn't lose him again.

* * *

The train ride seemed to last an eternity to Kasumi, yet she arrived at Kitakata just as the afternoon was bleeding into evening. She hastily collected her bag and was the first person off the train and onto the station platform. She paused for a few precious moments at the information kiosk in order to ask the courteous and polite attendents for directions to the nearby hospital. Soon Kasumi was rushing out of the station, following their clear and concise directions.

She wasn't quite jogging, but neither was she calmly walking as she made her way through the streets of Kitakata. Kasumi was almost entirely oblivious to her surroundings as she hurried along, not pausing to admire the beautiful vista of the majestic mountains rising in the distance, or the charm and flavor of the local stores, or even the great deals being offered by the vendors near the station. No, Kasumi was entirely focused on the thought of seeing Ryoga again.

She attempted to reign in her soaring emotions, after all the boy they had found might not even be Ryoga, or if it was, he could be seriously injured. But these doubts she tried to use to calm herself were ineffective, Kasumi's nerves were singing in anticipation. She felt with absolute certainty that Ryoga had been found, that he was alright, and that soon life would go back to the way it had been. Routine, safe, and happy. Or at least as much as it had ever was.

With these waring emotions inside her, Kasumi quickly covered the distance between the station and the hospital. Her first impression of the hospital seemed to Kasumi to be quite stereotypical. It was neither old nor new. It was a sprawling building, three stories high, constructed of sterile white concrete and crystal clean glass.

She followed the helpful signs posted around the perimeter of the hospital to the main entrance, and passed through a pair of sliding glass doors and found herself in a slightly chilly, air conditioned lobby.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the slightly dimmer interior lighting, but Kasumi quickly regained her bearings and made her way to the large reception desk placed on a wall adjacent to the entrance. The nurse on duty smiled politely as Kasumi approached.

"Hello, my name is Kasumi Teno." Kasumi said, returning the nurse's smile with a radiant one of her own. "I was contacted by a Dr. Tomoe about a patient here."

A look of understanding overtook the nurse's face as she replied, "Oh yes, Dr. Tomoe mentioned that someone would be coming to identify our John Doe. If you would please have a seat over there, I'll page Dr. Tomoe for you." She gestured at a row of unoccupied chairs situated across from the receptionist desk with one hand, while picking up a telephone receiver with the other.

Kasumi smiled and bowed slightly in thanks before making her way over to the waiting area of the lobby. The chairs were well worn and even when new had not been designed either for comfort or to be aesthetically pleasing. She settled herself into one on the end of the row and balanced her bag on her knees. She watched as the nurse had a hushed conversation over the phone, unintelligible from where Kasumi sat. The nurse then hung up the phone and glanced in Kasumi's direction. She smiled reassuringly at the younger woman when their eyes met, then turned back to whatever paperwork she had been processing before Kasumi had arrived.

Several nervous minutes later, Kasumi's wait was ended when a tall bespectacled man smelling strongly of coffee and cigarettes strode purposefully through the heavy door which separated the lobby from the rest of the hospital. He spied Kasumi instantly and quickly walked up to her; she rose gracefully out her seat in response.

"I'm Dr. Tomoe." The man said gruffly.

Kasumi bowed politely before replying, "Dr, Tomoe, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kasumi Tendo. We spoke on the phone earlier today."

Dr. Tomoe interrupted rather abruptly, "Yes. I know. Did you bring the medical records?"

Kasumi hastily opened the bag she had been carrying around and swiftly separated Ryoga's medical records from the rest of the documents in her keeping. "Here they are." She said while handing the records over.

Dr. Tomoe took the records from Kasumi's outstretched hand and quickly began to peruse them. He flipped through various sheets, and seeming to find something he had been looking for, grunted in a thoughtful manner. Without looking up he said, "Miss Tendo, if you'd kindly follow me, I can take you to the patient for positive identification, although at this point it is mostly formality. The birthmark and other various identifiers the boy has match those in the record."

Without looking to see if she followed, Dr. Tomoe turned around and once more walked through the door back into the depths of the hospital. Kasumi quickly closed her bag and rushed to catch up to the doctor. She followed him closely as he navigated the labyrinthine corridors of the hospital without looking up from the records he was now reading as if it were a best selling novel.

Dr. Tomoe didn't say anything further until they had somehow arrived at an elevator and had signaled it to travel to the third floor.

"It says here that Mr. Hibiki visited an emergency room not too long ago." Dr. Tomoe said. "Apparently his eyesight was affected somehow?" He finally deigned to glance in Kasumi's direction again.

"Yes, Ryoga and a friend of his were in some sort of martial arts fight. Apparently his friend used a powder to blind him I'm afraid. We visited the emergency room but they weren't able to do an in depth look at Ryoga to see how serious it was. They had scheduled him to have some tests done later in the month I believe."

Dr. Tomoe merely grunted again, obviously not too impressed with how the other hospital's staff had handled Ryoga. "Luckily we have MRI and CT scanners here," he commented, "I don't think that Mr. Hibiki is going to be up and about for a while, so we'll just perform the tests here."

Kasumi smiled gratefully at the doctor. "Oh my, that is very kind of you Dr. Tomoe."

The doctor was about to shrug off his display of compassion but was interrupted by the opening of the elevator doors. He briskly set off down the hallway, past several rooms and various nurses stations with Kasumi in close pursuit. Eventually he stopped in front of a room with a clipboard hanging on the wall beside the door. He took the board from the wall and opened the door, gesturing for Kasumi to go in first. "So is that Mr. Hibiki?"

Kasumi's gaze was arrested by the figure in the bed of the room. "Yes." She breathed, stunned at the transformation Ryoga had undergone. While the doctor began to scribble on the paper on the clipboard, Kasumi walked slowly deeper into the room.

In the short time Ryoga had been gone, he had changed drastically. For one thing he was dressed in a hospital gown, with no sign of his bandanna. Whether the change in clothes made him appear paler, or if it was a trick of the light, Ryoga's skin seemed almost alabaster, the deep black of his hair as it fell over his forehead, no longer restrained by his bandanna, seeming to make it appear even whiter in contrast.

His eyes were sunken into sockets which caught every passing shadow, making them appear as deeply black as his hair. His lips were thin and pale, and there seemed to be a suggestion of faded blue in them. In fact the only other source of color on his face were the various cuts and scratches which seemed to glow angrily red. His skin had become much too tight, shrinking in and highlighting his deep eyes, his high cheekbones, and his strong jawline. He looked emaciated and corpselike.

The rest of Ryoga was covered either by the blanket he was resting under, various bandages alternating between stark white and pinkish red, or by the various tubes and wires connecting the boy to several machines crowding around his bed.

Kasumi felt weak, she felt dismayed at how small Ryoga looked in the bed, how fragile and delicate he was. A few weeks ago he had been one of the strongest and most physically unassailable people she had known. Now Ryoga looked as if he were closer to death than life.

With an almost sob, Kasumi collapsed onto a small stool placed near the bed. She gently reached over and took one of Ryoga's bandage wrapped hands into her own, and she squeezed lightly, wanting, wishing, that somehow Ryoga knew that she was there, supporting him as much as she was able.

Dr. Tomoe finished writing on the clipboard and was preparing to continue down the hall to make copies of the records the nice girl had provided him. He glanced up at the scene playing out before him, and he frowned slightly and commiseratingly. He adjusted his glasses before silently closing the door and quietly making his way down the hall. It was always painful to see such calamity befall two young lovers.

* * *

This is the revised chapter, with the whole thing this time. Sorry for the wait.

I hate hospitals like a felon hates prison, so it is difficult for me to write about them. Probably why I haven't worked any further on Desire for a Life.

One last thing, I have taken several liberties as to the medical practices in Japan. I only have knowledge of the U.S. system, and pretty much the entire conversation in this chapter is in direct violation of HIPAA. Please forgive the artistic license I have taken.


	5. Set Controls for the Heart of the Sun

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

Ryoga's return to consciousness was abrupt. One moment he was oblivious, an empty entity floating upon a void. The next, he was aware. Mostly at least. He slowly, dimly, became aware of several sensations assaulting his senses, threatening to overwhelm them. In an effort to deal with the confusing rush of sensory inputs, Ryoga focused and identified one at a time.

First was the grating hiss of forced air being circulated. The signature sound of a central air conditioning system, meaning that he was inside a building of some sort. The next thing Ryoga became aware of was the strange feeling he was getting from his arms. They felt heavy, in fact all of his body felt heavy, but they also felt numb, and in some parts sticky with points of constant pressure.

The rest of his body ached dully. He felt as if he were being sucked into the soft material he was lying on. Which, when compared to the soft embrace of the ground, or the floor of a cave, was a welcome change.

The mental examination of his body had revealed something else troubling to Ryoga; there was something, some sort of cloud, between Ryoga's mind and the rest of his body. It dulled his feelings, numbed his pain, and interfered with his ability to clearly think.

His attention on the interference was disrupted by a rather annoying mechanical beep. It was quite piercing, and once Ryoga focused on it, he found that it seemed to repeat in a frustratingly random manner.

The final sensation he noticed was the achingly dry state of his throat. It was rough, ragged, and extremely constricted. He tried to swallow, but it caught on the roughness of his throat and he exploded in a fit of coughing.

The coughing fit was only in its first moments of life before a weight on the bed he was lying on, which had gone unnoticed by him, shifted.

A voice called out, "Ryoga?"

Kasumi.

Ryoga would know the soft and delicately feminine voice anywhere. Its dulcet tones had been the ones which had greeted him at the end of many of his travels, had been the ones to welcome him to the warmest and kindest approximation of a home he had ever known.

"Kasumi." He said, or at least tried to; it came out as a strangled croak bearing little if any resemblance to human speech.

"Oh my. Just a moment and I'll get something for you to drink."

Ryoga listened to Kasumi move around the room they were in and could hear the sound of a liquid being poured from one vessel to another. Some more movement, then a small, firm, but gentle hand was placed behind his head, supporting him while a paper cup was placed at his lips.

Ryoga took a sip and the cool wetness of the water was an almost painful shock to his hot, dry mouth. He took a few smaller, careful sips, each less abrasive and more soothing than the last. Eventually the cup was dry and the warm hand eased his head back down.

He heard Kasumi move away slightly before she asked, "Was that enough? Or would you like more Ryoga?"

Ryoga swallowed before answering, "Kasumi. Kasumi, where are we? What are you doing here? The last thing I can remember was being in some sort of cave …" He trailed off, slightly tired from the effort of speaking, and slightly at a loss to what he had been saying. The strange fog surrounding his brain seemed to hinder his ability to string thoughts together.

"We're at Kitakata Prefectural Hospital; you were brought here after you were found in a landslide on a nearby mountain a few days ago. I'm afraid that they were unable to find any of your possessions other than a postcard addressed to us in Nerima. The hospital used that to track down our phone number and called us to identify you, and well here I am.

"It seems that somewhere between when we were last together and when the nice villagers found you, you received a lot of nasty cuts and bruises and other more serious injuries. But the doctor says that you should make a full recovery."

Ryoga had closed his sightless eyes while Kasumi had talked, not so much following what she had been saying as drifting in the comfort a familiar voice gave one in a strange place. However her last sentence had gotten through to him. He was going to be alright. Alright, so long as you didn't count the fact that he was still blind. He was going to be fine except for the minor little character quirk which resulted in him not being able to cross the street without having to transverse at least two major bodies of water.

Ryoga could feel the tell-tale signs of an impending bout of frustrated tears. He knew that compared to most other guys he was often seen as somewhat more emotionally sensitive, but for some reason the last thing he wanted to do was break down crying in front of Kasumi. It was irrational since he was literally in a hospital bed with who knows what wrong with him, but he didn't want to appear weak.

Ryoga turned his face in the direction Kasumi was standing, and trying to keep his voice level and not let in the hitch of frustration bleed into it, he asked, "Kasumi, could you please get the nurse, or a doctor, I'd like to know just what is wrong with me." He paused for a moment to swallow; his throat was still somewhat dry. "I don't really like hospitals, and would like to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Okay Ryoga." Kasumi replied in a tone which Ryoga noticed was much more subdued compared to her normal lilting manner of speech. "Dr. Tomoe was just here a few minutes ago to check in on you, so he probably hasn't gotten too far. I'll go and tell him that you've woken up. I'll be right back."

Ryoga turned his head back to probably regard the ceiling. He heard a muted rustle of fabric and the light footsteps of Kasumi as she walked away from his bed, pausing for a moment to elicit a metallic click from the door, and then fade into the distance before being cut off by the door clicking once more into place.

He decided to take stock of his condition. He was heavily injured, blind, lost, and on some type of pain medication which seemed designed to prevent any type of coherent thought. Ryoga sighed deeply. It seemed as if life was always out to prove to him that no matter how bad it got, it could always be worse. What was he going to do now? Once he healed, he would still be sightless, and Kasumi had said that all of his possessions had been lost, so how was he going to resupply? In addition she had said that they were in Kitakata, which if he remembered correctly was somewhere near Hong Kong…

Wait a minute, what was Kasumi doing in Kitakata with him? She had said something about the hospital contacting the Tendos in order to ask them who he was, but couldn't they do that over the phone?

Sudden guilt washed over Ryoga. He had been wallowing in his usual self misery, almost taking delight in cataloging the wrongs visited upon him, but he had neglected to consider the hardships of the people around him. Traveling the hundreds of kilometers between Nerima and Kitakata was something which came as second nature to Ryoga, but would the trip be as effortless for someone such as Kasumi?

No, of course not, for a normal person such a trip would at the very least be an incredible inconvenience, a terrible interruption of normal everyday life. And for what purpose? Just to see him? That someone as nice as Kasumi would go so far to just check up on someone like him made Ryoga felt like a complete heel.

Just as suddenly as the guilt had come upon him, Ryoga became aware of an immense fatigue settling over his body. It was strange, he had returned to consciousness only minutes before, but he was feeling drained, lethargic, just plain tired. He contemplated drifting off to sleep again, but just as he was on the threshold, the soft metallic click of the door resounded throughout the room.

A pair of heavy and slow footsteps quickly made their way into the room, followed quickly after by the now familiar tread of Kasumi's much lighter pattern.

The heavy footsteps stopped near Ryoga's head, while Kasumi seemed hesitant and somewhat uneasy, Ryoga could hear her pausing for a moment near the foot of his bed, before she began nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

There was a rustling of paper from the heavy footsteps, which created a small breeze, wafting the smell of stale burnt coffee and equally stale cigarette smoke towards Ryoga. "Well then Mr. Hibiki, awake at last are we?" The voice was rough, gravely, and definitely male. "I'm Dr. Tomoe, and you're in Kitakata Hospital. How are you feeling right now?"

Ryoga turned toward the voice and sighed slightly before answering, "I'm not entirely sure doctor, it's kinda hard to really think straight."

"That's probably the pain suppressants we have you on." Dr. Tomoe said. "You were in pretty bad shape when you were brought in. Several fractures, multiple lacerations, as well as massive amounts of bruising. You were also suffering from a rather nasty bacterial infection resulting in a dangerously high fever. So in addition to the pain medication, we have you on a rather intensive regimen of antibiotics. "

Ryoga shifted and groaned slightly in response.

"That being said, " Dr. Tomoe continued, "You've shown a remarkable resilience, as well as a astounding ability to heal quickly. Frankly, I've never seen the like. But I must ask, how exactly did you come to this state?"

Ryoga attempted to remember, to think back. "I … I can't really remember," he said, "I remember leaving the Nerima hospital, and running. I just felt so depressed, then, I don't know. There was a rainstorm I think, then a cave…" He sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry, I just can't remember what exactly happened."

There was the scratch of a pen on paper from the direction of Dr. Tomoe. "That's alright, short term memory loss is not uncommon when suffering from such a high fever; you also sustained multiple head injuries which probably did you no favors either.

"Now then, it was indicated in your record that you recently suffered some sort of injury which impairs your ability to see. If you could, please tell me about what exactly happened."

Ryoga tried to settle into a more comfortable position, but the endeavor was pointless. "I was in Nerima," he said, "trying to find the Tendo Dojo when I got into a fight."

"Does that happen a lot?" Interrupted Dr. Tomoe.

"Well I'm lost a lot, so I'm usually trying to find my way to the Tendo's since it's the closest thing …" Ryoga paused, considering the silent Kasumi. "The closest thing I have to a home." He finished quietly.

"Actually I meant the part about the fighting." Dr. Tomoe said.

"Oh, well I'm a martial artist, and so was she. Anyway, during the fight she threw some sort of powder into my eyes, and ever since then I've been blind."

"Hmmm. Well, I've scheduled some tests in a couple of days in order to better examine your eyes. Hopefully we will be able to restore you to the peak of health." There was the rustling of paper once more, "I'm afraid that there are other patients I need to see to, if you need anything just press the button next to your left hand and the nurse on duty will be alerted. Now then, if you'll excuse me, goodbye Mr. Hibiki, Ms. Tendo."

The heavy footsteps made their way to the door and after the now familiar click; Ryoga was alone once again with Kasumi.

The sudden silence stretched between them awkwardly.

Ryoga was the one who decided to fill the void with sound by saying, "I'm sorry."

Kasumi shifted her weight before responding, "About what?"

Ryoga leaned deeper into his pillow, his eyes wearily closed. "About all of this. The fight I had with Kodachi was between her and me; you had nothing to do with it. It was just a coincidence that you were the first familiar person I came across. Then I forced you to take me to the hospital, and even though you were helping me, I just ran off and hurt myself. Now I've dragged you all the way from Nerima here. I've caused you so much inconvenience. That's why I'm sorry."

Kasumi's steps were light and quick as she made her way around the bed and suddenly grasped Ryoga's hand. "Don't say that! You didn't force me to do anything. I helped you because you're my friend."

Ryoga waved his unoccupied hand weakly in dismissal. "Friends let you borrow their pen in class, or the money for a drink from the vending machine. They don't travel hundreds of kilometers when one of them gets into an accident. At least not the ones I know."

Ryoga heard a rustle of cloth, and felt a light tap on his forehead. "Ryoga, you're my friend, that's why I help you, because I care about you."

"But …"

Kasumi interrupted whatever he was going to say, "But nothing, you are a friend of Kasumi Tendo, and Kasumi Tendo cares about her friends. Besides, what would you do if something happened to me? What if someone kidnapped me?"

Ryoga opened his eyes and looked in Kasumi's direction with hopefully an earnest expression. "Of course I would come to rescue you, I would travel thousands of kilometers, or however long it would take to show up at the right place, but I would help you."

"See? And I'd do the same for you."

Ryoga was slightly confused, "But I don't think anyone would want to kidnap me."

Kasumi giggled, and Ryoga realized that ever since he had woken up, Kasumi had sounded more subdued than usual, but hearing her laugh made the atmosphere seem less tense and more normal. At least as normal as it could get in a hospital room in a strange city.

"So, " Ryoga said after Kasumi's mirth had run its course. "what's been happening while I was out?"

Kasumi let go of Ryoga's hand and moved away a little, then dragged something toward Ryoga's bed. She held his hand once again, and her voice came from a much shorter and closer position when she responded. "Well, after you had left, I tried to look for you, but I'm afraid I'm just not in the same physical shape as you, so I wasn't able to catch up. By the time I returned home, it was rather late and a little dark, so it was very noticeable when you let out that chi attack."

"What chi attack?" Ryoga asked puzzled.

"Oh that purplish one you do whenever you're upset. Apparently you were very upset, because this one was rather impressive. Ranma and Akane, as well as some of your other friends went out to where you made the blast, but they weren't able to find you. Many of us feared the worst since there was no other sign of you. But then Dr. Tomoe called and said that you had been found.

"I came right away, it's only a few hours by train and the countryside is very picturesque, and you were lying here, looking very beaten up. I stayed for a while to make sure that you were alright, but when visiting hours were over, I had to leave. I found the nicest room to rent; it's in a quaint little building next to a very nice ramen restaurant. They serve wonderful ramen there, I'll be sure to bring you some next time I visit."

Ryoga frowned thoughtfully, "You mean that you've been here for more than a day?"

Kasumi replied cheerfully, "Yes, I left Nerima three days ago. But don't worry, I called my family shortly after I arrived. They were relieved that you were safe, although they did seem to be concerned that I was away by myself, and that I had not left them with a meal plan ahead of time. But I let them know where I kept my list of restaurants which give us the best deals. So they should be alright for the next week or so while I'm gone."

"But Kasumi, " Ryoga said, "I don't want to be such a burden on you."

"Ryoga, I thought we already went over this. It's not an inconvenience for me; I just want to make sure you're okay. Anyway, I've spent the past two days exploring the town, and waiting for you to wake up."

Ryoga felt slightly guilty, 'I'm sorry I took so long then."

"That's alright; you took as long as you needed. Besides they say that you heal faster when you're asleep, especially you. Dr. Tomoe is amazed at how fast you are healing, he thought that it would be at least a month until you were on your feet again, but just today he said that if you kept healing as fast as you have been, that you could be out of here in a week. "

Ryoga smiled slightly, "I've always been a quick healer, I think it has something to do with being a martial artist. Ranma seems to be as fast a healer as me." He ended his sentence with a wide yawn.

"Oh my, are you tired Ryoga?"

He sighed before answering, "Yeah. It's strange, I've been asleep for so long, but I'm still tired."

Kasumi's chair creaked as she leaned forward to put a hand on Ryoga's shoulder. "That's alright Ryoga, your recovering your strength; it isn't strange for you to be tired. You should get as much rest as you can. It's getting late anyway; visiting hours are almost over, so I should be going. Is there anything you need before I go?"

Ryoga shook his head, "No, I don't need anything. Just tired..." He yawned again.

With a rustle of cloth and a small creak Kasumi stood up, or at least that was how Ryoga interpreted the slight air disturbance he felt. He felt her pat his shoulder once more, before her footsteps made their way towards the door. There was the click of a light switch and the buzzing of the fluorescent lights which had provided a background noise to everything stopped.

"Good night Ryoga. Sleep well and I'll see you tomorrow."

The door clicked open and shut, and Ryoga was left alone in silence. In only a few moments he drifted off once more into sleep.

* * *

The next few days were some of the longest Ryoga had ever lived through. He could only tell when it was day or night by when Kasumi came to visit. If it hadn't been for her keeping him company, Ryoga was sure that he would have gone insane.

Being stuck in a hospital bed meant that about the only thing he could do to pass the time was sleep. But even when he was trying to rest as much as possible, there were long hours when he was condemned to consciousness. Long hours when all he could do was lay in bed and think.

Thankfully Kasumi provided a welcome distraction whenever she visited; always bringing him interesting stories about her day, as well as food much more appetizing than the hospital offerings. She had been correct; the ramen from the restaurant she was staying next to was some of the best ramen he had ever tasted.

The only other thing which broke the monotony of Ryoga's time was Dr. Tomoe's daily visit. Every day at what Ryoga assumed was the same time, Dr. Tomoe would come and check on Ryoga's physical condition as well as the medications he was being given.

It had only taken two days before Ryoga had been able to convince the older doctor that the pain killers weren't necessary. The doctor had also decided at about that time that Ryoga didn't need antibiotics anymore either, so Ryoga no longer had any needles stuck in his arms.

He still had the sticky electrodes connecting him to the EKG machine on various parts of his body, but at least he was free from the drug induced haze as well as the annoyingly incessant pressure of the IV drip.

The only thing besides Kasumi's visits which seemed to help the days pass more quickly was when Ryoga attempted to meditate. He had learned the meditation technique several months previously when he had been forced to take shelter at a Buddhist monastery far in the mountains of China when a vicious rain storm had struck the region and lasted for several days.

The monks had been very kind and had welcomed him as a guest. He had performed some simple labor to repay them for his stay, and they in turn had taught him how to meditate in order to attempt to curb his emotional nature. It was also said to help regulate the flow of chi and to increase they physical stamina as well as healing of the practitioner.

Ryoga hadn't really had the opportunity to engage in too much of the meditation he had learned, owing to his rather nomadic lifestyle, being constantly on the move wasn't conducive to sitting still for long hours focusing on emptying his mind.

He was in the middle of one of his meditation sessions, sitting on his bed in the lotus position, waiting for Kasumi to arrive, when he heard the now quite familiar click of the door to his room being opened. However instead of Kasumi, Ryoga recognized Dr. Tomoe's footsteps entering the room, accompanied by someone Ryoga had never met.

"Ah Ryoga, you're awake." Said Dr. Tomoe in his usual brusque manner.

Ryoga didn't move from his pose or open his eyes when he replied, "Hello Dr. Tomoe, is it time for our daily checkup?"

"Something different today." The doctor replied, "It's time for your tests to see just what the cause of your blindness is. Dr. Tenma here is an expert in all things pertaining to the brain and the organs connected to it. I can say with confidence that you're in the best hands with him, if your eyesight can be cured, he is the man who can do it."

Ryoga felt a surge of hope at Dr. Tomoe's statement of confidence.

A new voice spoke out from beside Dr. Tomoe, it was of a man older than Ryoga, but younger than Dr. Tomoe. It was warm and intelligent. "Mr. Hibiki, I'm Dr. Tenma, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ryoga smiled in reply. "Hello Dr. Tenma, it's nice to meet you. Is there anything I can do to help with these tests?"

Dr. Tenma laughed lightly and replied, "You just need to lay back and hold on."

Ryoga scooted back and laid back down on the bed. The two doctors stepped closer and snapped up the metal rails on either side of the bed, which had been folded down previously.

One of them, Dr. Tomoe Ryoga thought, reached under his hospital gown and unsnapped the wires leading from the electrodes to the EKG machine. It let out a rather upsetting electronic wail until the doctor reached over and turned it off.

The doctors fiddled with something under the bed for a moment, which cause the bed to shift abruptly. Dr. Tenma pushed it from the head, while Dr. Tomoe went ahead and opened the door. Soon Ryoga was being wheeled through the halls. They passed other rooms, where hushed conversations were being held, or where a TV was blaring, offering the occupant an entertainment for the most part denied Ryoga. Not that he had ever been much of a television watcher. They then traveled in an elevator for a short time, and then through some more hallways.

Eventually they arrived at another room; one which Ryoga thought was more spacious than his room, based upon the way the sounds of their movements bounced off the walls. The doctors wheeled his bed around, and then stopped it. One of the doctors unlocked the rail on one side of Ryoga's bed.

"Okay Ryoga, we're going to need you to move over to another bed to your left." Dr. Tenma said. He put his hands on Ryoga's shoulders to help steady him. Ryoga quickly made the transition to the much narrower platform and one of the doctors reached under his gown and removed the very sticky metal electrode pads that had been left on him.

"Okay Ryoga, Dr. Tenma and I are going to leave the room for a little while." Dr. Tomoe said, "This table is going to move a bit, just try to stay as still as possible. Alright?"

Ryoga nodded in reply. He listened as the two doctors made their way out of the room. It was silent for several minutes, and Ryoga had to fight to keep from fidgeting. Suddenly there was the whirring of machinery and the table below him began to move. It pulled him in the direction his head was pointing. After a few moments it stopped, and Ryoga felt that he was now in a much smaller space.

There was a strange humming sound which lasted for quite some time, and then the table below him started up again, this time moving in the direction of his feet. The table stopped again, then a few moments later Ryoga heard the door to the room being opened.

"There now, that wasn't so bad was it?" Asked Dr. Tenma as he helped Ryoga back into his original bed.

"What other tests do we need to do doctor?" Replied Ryoga.

"That was it, for now at least. Hopefully the scan we just did will provide us with enough information to figure out what exactly is wrong. We should have the results back later today."

The trip back to his room was uneventful, Ryoga tuned out the miscellaneous noises of the hallways by focusing uneasily on the anticipation of the test results.

Shortly after the doctors had returned Ryoga to his room Dr. Tenma had left to process the results of the test and Kasumi appeared for her daily visit.

"Good morning Ryoga, Dr. Tomoe." Kasumi said sweetly.

"Good morning Kasumi."

"Good morning Miss Tendo. If you'll excuse me, I need to perform my rounds now. I hope your tests turn out well Ryoga." With that, Dr. Tomoe made his exit, closing the door after him.

Kasumi set something down on the small table Ryoga had discovered next to his bed. She then moved a chair to her usual position near both the table and his bed.

"So," she asked, "you already had the tests for your eyes today?"

"Yes, although it was just one, and it seemed very short." Ryoga replied. "But Dr. Tenma felt that it should be enough to figure out what exactly is wrong with me."

"Dr. Tenma?" Kasumi asked, rustling a plastic bag on the table she was next to.

Ryoga slowly sat up; relishing the freedom he was feeling from no longer being connected to the multitude of machines he had been. "I just met him today; Dr. Tomoe said that he was the best in the field when it came to injuries like mine. Dr. Tenma seemed very capable and confident. I hope he can help me."

"Oh, I'm sure that he'll be able to help. Soon you'll be back to your regular self." Said Kasumi while she busied herself with something which sounded strange. It was a series of soft, wet crunches.

"I hope so Kasumi. I really do." Ryoga said, heavily sighing. "I mean it wasn't too much fun to be lost all the time when I could see. But now that I'm blind … Well it is just so much harder out there." Ryoga could feel his eyes mist in a prelude to tears, but his moment of self pity was abruptly interrupted by Kasumi.

"Say ah Ryoga."

He opened his mouth, and was rewarded by a soft, yet firm and sweet slice of peeled apple. He chewed it slowly, enjoying the taste and texture which contrasted greatly from the food he had been eating for the past several days.

"Thank you Kasumi." He said in wonderment. "I think this is the best apple I've ever tasted!"

Kasumi laughed softly. "Well I picked it up this morning on the way over, at a grocers which is on the way. It's run by the nicest man, a Mr. Saito who has a son in Tokyo attending the Nekomi Institute of Technology. Mrs. Saito is over in Mito right now visiting relatives and Mr. Saito says that he's been very busy lately without anyone helping him run the store…"

Ryoga smiled slightly as he let Kasumi's soft voice wash over him. It always amazed him at how easily Kasumi was able to talk to people and connect with them. She seemed to be naturally able to make friends with anyone, anywhere. He envied her for that. When he had been younger, he had been much shyer, and had been reluctant to initiate conversations with total strangers, no matter how lost he had become. But as he had grown older he had overcome his reluctance somewhat, enough to ask for directions at least.

However he had never been able to make friends as easily as Kasumi was able to. For some reason whenever he asked someone for directions, or otherwise approached them, to buy provisions or look for a part time job, most people were closed and guarded toward him, watching him with suspicious eyes, waiting for him to do something. What they were expecting he wasn't quite sure.

Perhaps it was his wild appearance as a nomadic traveler, or perhaps his muscular physique, whatever it was he had grown used to the suspicious stares of strangers over the years. Now he usually only interacted with other people long enough to ask them where Nerima was, or if he was very far afield, where Tokyo was. He didn't stay around long enough in any one place for people to call the police on him, like they used to do.

Ryoga sighed in remembrance. But quickly smiled again as Kasumi continued her relating the history of the Saito family. She had the ability to make the most mundane and boring topics seem interesting.

The two teens passed away the next few hours like they usually did, Kasumi relating the latest happenings around town, and Ryoga listening enraptured, occasionally relating an interesting story from his travels when something Kasumi said reminded him of some aspect of his life long journey.

Their conversation had pushed all thoughts of the medical test out of Ryoga's mind, but he was suddenly reminded when, with a protestingly loud click, the door to his room swung open very quickly. Footsteps that Ryoga identified as Dr. Tenma rushed in to the room.

"Mr. Hibiki!" Exclaimed Dr. Tenma, "You are a medical miracle!"

Ryoga was shocked and confused. "Um, what do you mean doctor?"

"I mean this!" Said Dr. Tenma. He clicked a switch on the wall across the room from Ryoga's bed, and a warm electric humming filled the room. Ryoga listened as Dr. Tenma snapped what sounded like sheets of plastic against whatever was making the humming noise.

"See here," continued Dr. Tenma excitedly. "In this area right here, we can plainly see your optic nerve. Now normally this is what it should look like." Ryoga could only guess that the doctor was pointing at something. It seemed that in his excitement the good doctor had momentarily forgotten Ryoga was blind. Ryoga hoped that Kasumi would be able to clue him in later. "Now you can see these small black spots all along the nerve here. This is the foreign substance which is causing the interference with your eyesight. It's strange though, it appears to have been buried deeply into the nerve, as if it had been compacted by the surrounding tissue shrinking rapidly." Ryoga tried to appear clueless as to what might have caused such a shrinking. It wasn't hard to do.

"In fact, I believe that without this compacting, the foreign substance would have naturally worked its way out naturally. You can see here," there was the sound of another piece of plastic being snapped into place, "a close-up of the substance, and its shape seems designed to allow it to work its way into the area between the lens of the eye and the optic nerve, causing blindness. It should have naturally left the eye in about a week or two, but somehow the substance was heavily compacted and forced into the optic nerve itself."

"But doctor, " Interrupted Kasumi, from the first picture, it looks like the black specs are imbedded on the outside of the optic nerve."

"Precisely!" Replied Dr. Tenma. "Mr. Hibiki, somehow your body has forced the foreign object through and out of your optic nerve. Do you see these white areas surrounding the black specs? That is evidence of scaring. Of healing in other words. This is unheard of! There have been some cutting edge research papers suggesting that the optic nerve could be repaired, could be healed by use of a specialized cell called a stem cell, but even the most ambitious experiments are years, perhaps decades away. And here we have an actual case where the nerve is healing naturally. Scientifically speaking this is impossible!"

Dr. Tenma was almost panting from the excitement he was feeling and his attitude was infectious.

"You mean that my eyes will naturally heal and I'll be able to see again?!" Asked Ryoga with rising hope.

The question served to put a damper on the doctor's enthusiasm. "Well, yes and no. You see, the foreign matter has worked its way very deep into your optic nerve, and is getting dangerously close to your brain. So long as it is present in your body it will cause blindness, and could even have more sever impacts upon your health later on. We will have to perform an operation to remove it. However once it is gone, your miraculous healing ability will likely heal you of your injuries. But I must be honest with you; no one has ever recovered their sight once their optic nerve has been damaged. Your ability to heal is unheard of, but it may not be enough to overcome nature. The passage of the material will leave scars on your optic nerve, and these may result in permanent blindness."

Ryoga could feel his emotions plummeting. To have had the chance to see again, only to have it taken away in almost the same breath. It was heartbreaking. Kasumi seemed to sense his mood and leaned over and gently patted his back, giving him her support.

Dr. Tenma seemed to realize the sudden change in mood in the room and attempted to repair the damage. "But, "he said, "perhaps your ability to heal will mean that you will be able to see again. As I've said, no one has ever seen such a thing before. Who knows the limits of it? Although personally speaking, if you do regain your sight, I doubt it will return to the degree you experienced before the accident. You will still have some rather extensive scaring, which will likely result in some degradation of your eyesight."

"You mean like I would have to wear glasses or something?" Ryoga asked.

Dr. Tenma shifted his weight uncomfortably before replying, "Well, corrective lenses are made to deal more with issues in sight arising from the shape of the eye or damage to the lens. Your problems stem from the optic nerve, so glasses or contacts would likely have little to no impact on how well you would be able to see."

Even with such a thin offer of hope, Ryoga perked up. "Dr. Tenma. So long as I can see again, no matter how poorly, I would give anything." With his declaration, Ryoga felt Kasumi place her hand in his, giving him a gentle squeeze of support.

Dr. Tenma seemed suddenly uncomfortable for some reason and abruptly blurted out, "Well as I said, the foreign substance is making its way closer to your brain even as we speak, so we've decided that the operation to remove it should proceed without delay. I'm going to go wash up; some nurses will be in shortly to prepare you for surgery. If we don't get a chance to speak to each other again before the surgery, please know that I will do everything I can to insure it is a success."

"Thank you doctor." Said Ryoga as he listened to Dr. Tenma switch off the humming machine and make his exit in a much more subdued manner than he had entered the room.

"Oh my Ryoga, I hope this operation works." Kasumi said, still holding Ryoga's hand.

Ryoga could feel how small her hand was in his, how warm and fragile it was. Although he was extremely excited over how the operation would turn out, he was being extra careful in how much force he was using to hold Kasumi's hand. He knew that he was prone to overexerting his strength and casually causing damage. But he also knew that he never wanted to cause Kasumi any harm.

"Kasumi," he said, "I hope this operation works out for me too. But I want you to know, whether I get my sight back or not, thank you. Thank you for being here, for caring for me. I don't think that anyone else would have gone to the lengths you have for me. And for that, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I will always be in your debt."

There were so many emotions swirling through Ryoga at that moment, fear, hope, happiness, more fear, and something that he wasn't quite sure what it was. But he knew that the emotions gripping him were powerful, and he could feel himself begin to tear up in the face of them.

Kasumi grasped his hand a little tighter and leaned closer to him. "Ryoga, I think …"

She was interrupted by the sudden opening of the door.

"Excuse us." Said an unfamiliar feminine voice. "But we are here to prep Mr. Hibiki for surgery."

"Oh, go right ahead." Replied Kasumi as she stood up, reluctantly letting go of Ryoga's hand.

The female nurse was accompanied by another light footed person, as well as a much heavier footed person who wheeled a heavy sounding device which rattled into the room.

Soon Ryoga felt the cold wetness of an alcohol pad against his arm, and just as quickly, he was connected to an IV again. The nurses lifted up his gown and began to stick more electrodes on various parts of his chest, connecting him once again to the EKG machine. Suddenly a foul smelling and cold plastic cup was placed over Ryoga's nose and mouth. Straps attached to it were pulled behind his head, and painfully pinched his hair. He shook his head slightly and the mask adjusted to a slightly more comfortable position.

"Okay Mr. Hibiki, I'd like you to count backwards from one hundred." Said an unfamiliar masculine voice from close by his head.

Feeling slightly frightened, but comforted by the fact that Kasumi was still in the room, Ryoga mumbled through the mask "One hundred." He heard the hiss of a gas being released. "Ninety nine." The foul smell of the plastic mask increased in intensity. "Ninety eight." It seemed like it was getting harder to breath. "Ninety seven." Ryoga felt extremely strange, like he was floating. "Ninety ssiiiiiix." He was definitely floating, and he was feeling rather unconcerned about anything. "Ninety fffiiiiii…"

Ryoga blearily opened his eyes. Or at least tried to. There was something covering them, soft cloth padding. He reached up to take it off.

"Ryoga?" A very quiet and soft voice asked as soon as his hand had started to move.

"Yes?" He answered in a voice which astonished him in its weakness.

"Oh I'm glad you're awake!" Said Kasumi amid a rustle of clothing and the groan of the bed as she leaned onto it.

"Kasumi?" Ryoga asked confusedly. "What happened? What about the surgery? I don't want to miss it."

Kasumi laughed softly and patted Ryoga on the shoulder. "Your surgery was last night. I was worried because it lasted for such a long time, but Dr. Tenma said that it was a success! At least as far as removing whatever it was that Kodachi used on you. He said that it's just a matter of letting you rest and heal now. They want you to stay for another day for observation, but nothing is physically wrong with you anymore. At least nothing that can't be cured simply by resting. So tomorrow they are going to be releasing you!"

Ryoga involuntarily smiled widely. He was finally going to be rid of being stuck in the hospital! It had felt like he had been imprisoned in the hospital bed for years rather than the week it actually had been.

"But," continued Kasumi, "Dr. Tomoe and Dr. Tenma told me that you had to get your rest, no strenuous exercise for two weeks. And the bandages on your eyes have to stay on for two weeks as well, in order for your optic nerve to heal without being stressed."

Ryoga felt his hopes being dashed. Two weeks of rest. Where? He had a home somewhere, but he had such difficulties finding it. Even with the aid of a map he couldn't find it. And his camping supplies had been lost in the mountains. Where exactly would he rest and recuperate?

Kasumi must have noticed his slight change in temperament because she asked in a rather concerned manner, "What's wrong Ryoga?"

He sighed in response. "I was just thinking about how exactly I would rest for such a long time. I mean it's not as if I have my camping supplies with me so I can't just camp out, and even when I could see, I couldn't find my way back home." He sighed deeply again. As much as he disliked the hospital, it would seem that staying in it for the next two weeks was probably his best option.

Kasumi suddenly leaned forward, putting more weight on the edge of Ryoga's bed. "What are you talking about? Of course you'll be staying with us in Nerima."

Ryoga allowed confusion free reign across his face. "But you've already done so much for me. I couldn't possibly impose on your kindness any further."

He felt a light tap on his forehead again. "We've already been over this." Kasumi said in sweet exasperation. "You're a friend, and friends help each other when they are in trouble, not just when it is convenient for them."

"But Ranma …"

"Ranma is a nice boy." Kasumi interrupted. "He and the rest of your friends will respect that you're injured, and won't give you a hard time. I'll have a talk with them if they don't. Please say that you'll stay with us until you are better."

There was just no way Ryoga could disappoint Kasumi, especially since she rarely asked for anything. "Alright, I'll stay with you, but only until I'm healed. I don't want to be a burden on you or your family."

"Thank you Ryoga." Kasumi said, and then paused for a moment. Suddenly Ryoga felt something small, soft, and warm on his cheek. Kasumi had kissed him. It was only a small, chaste peck on the cheek, but it was the first time that Ryoga could recall in a very long time that a girl had willingly kissed him while he was in his human form. He blushed deeply when he realized just what Kasumi had done, and was unable to reply when she said, "Goodbye Ryoga, I'll be back tomorrow morning to help you check out, and then we can go home."

Kasumi quickly and quietly made her way out of the room, but Ryoga barely noticed. He was frozen by shock in the position Kasumi had left him in, and remained there, too stunned to sleep, the entire night through.

Morning was heralded by the arrival of an unfamiliar nurse, a different one from the nurse who had prepped him for surgery. She quickly and methodically unhooked Ryoga from the various machines around the bed, causing the ambient electronic beeps and mechanical whirrs lapse into silence. She left as quickly as she had appeared, quickly replaced by the arrival of Dr. Tomoe.

"Well Mr. Hibiki, it seems like we've done all that we can for you. The rest of the healing process we'll leave to you, and Miss Tendo's capable hands. I passed her on the way here; she was finishing the paperwork necessary for your discharge. She is a very mature person for someone her age. You're lucky to have her."

Ryoga tried to tell the doctor that his impression was mistaken, but Dr. Tomoe didn't allow him the luxury of pausing.

"Dr. Tenma would come to say his goodbyes, but he is busy researching any other instances of a case similar to yours in order to begin work on a research paper he says will revolutionize the medical community. Don't worry, I managed to get him to promise to leave you alone for at least the two weeks you will need to rest and recuperate. But I think that you'll be hearing a lot from Dr. Tenma in the near future."

The door to the room opened and Ryoga heard Kasumi enter. "Oh my, Dr. Tomoe, it is nice to see you again." She said.

Dr. Tomoe replied, "Just telling our miracle patient goodbye. To be honest, when he was brought in I thought he was going to be a resident for a few months at least. But with his phenomenal healing ability, I feel comfortable in releasing him into your care Miss Tendo."

"Thank you for the complement doctor, and thank you for all the hard work you've done to get Ryoga better." It sounded to Ryoga as if Kasumi was bending forward. Spurred by her politeness, Ryoga echoed his thanks to the doctor, who took the opportunity to leave the two young teenagers alone.

"Are you ready to leave Ryoga?" Kasumi asked as she moved deeper into the room.

Ryoga had finally managed to banish the thoughts of her kiss from his mind only a few hours previously, but they were brought dangerously close to the surface when she had arrived. Blushing slightly Ryoga replied, "I don't think I've ever been more ready to leave a place in my life."

The sound of a plastic bag rustling came from Kasumi's position, and a slight weight was dropped onto Ryoga's bed. "Well I don't think that you would want to make the trip home in just a hospital gown, so I went out and bought a few clothes for you. I hope that I got the size right."

Ryoga looked in Kasumi's direction, and felt badly for taking advantage of the girl, going so far as to force her to buy him clothes. "Kasumi, you didn't …" Ryoga was interrupted by a light tap on his forehead. "I mean, thank you Kasumi." He finished quietly.

"I'll be waiting out in the hall while you get changed." Kasumi said happily. "Just let me know if you need any help." With that she quickly made her way out of Ryoga's room.

He sat there for a moment contemplating his weakness and dependence upon Kasumi, then with a sigh levered himself off the bed he had been confined to for so long. It felt somewhat strange being vertical again, stretching muscles that had atrophied slightly during his long bed rest. He quickly removed the flimsy hospital gown, and reached into the plastic bag Kasumi had left him.

He quickly identified a pair of pants as well as a short sleeved shirt. He blushed bright red when he found a pair of boxers as well. The image of the sweet and gentle Kasumi shopping for a pair of underwear for him threatened to overwhelm him in embarrassment. So he fought back against it by just refusing to think about such an embarrassing scene.

In a few minutes, and after only a few minor difficulties in figuring out which was the front and back of certain items, he had dressed himself. He also put on the pair of sandals he had found in the bag, replacing the flimsy paper hospital slippers he had been using until that point. The pants were jeans, and a little tight as well as a little long. The shirt was very tight, and he could feel it hugging his figure.

Deciding that he was as ready as he was going to be, Ryoga squared his shoulders and walked in the direction of the door to his room, and promptly tripped over a chair, causing a loud crashing sound as both he and the chair went sprawling on the floor.

"Oh my!" Exclaimed Kasumi as she rushed back into the room. "Are you alright Ryoga?"

Ryoga's pride was more bruised than his body. "Yeah, I'm alright Kasumi, just didn't see this chair here."

"Here let me help you." She said. Ryoga grasped her outstretched hand, and followed its guidance upright. He then followed it out of the room and through the hallways of the hospital.

"I was thinking that perhaps you would like to get cleaned up before we go back home." Kasumi said as they made their way through the labyrinth of a hospital. "So we can go back to the room I've been staying in and you can take a shower."

Ryoga had been feeling rather dirty, the hospital staff had offered giving him a sponge bath, but he hadn't taken them up on their offer, so he was rather ripe. A shower would make him feel much more comfortable, and better able to face the trials ahead.

Suddenly Kasumi pushed through a door, and they were outside. The inside of the hospital had been climate controlled and the smells had been muted by an omnipresent odor of cleanliness associated with various chemical cleaners.

The outside though. It was a totally different experience. Ryoga could feel a cool breeze blowing across him, ruffling his hair slightly. The noise was much more intense, the sound of a multitude of voices conversing crashed against the sounds of traffic moving in a nearby street, coupled with random unidentifiable electronic sounds emanating from all directions.

The smells were just as indecipherable. There was the smell of various restaurants in the wind, all more mouth watering and enticing than the last. There was the smell of crisp mountain air blowing along with the breeze. There was the smell of car exhaust and oil, of flowers and sunlight, and of humanity.

Ryoga was overwhelmed, but Kasumi didn't seem to notice the abrupt and sudden change. She continued to lead Ryoga by the hand at her normal unhurried pace. Ryoga concentrated on her as the anchor to attach himself to in order to keep from being swept away by all the sensations suddenly assailing him.

The trip to the place Kasumi had been staying lasted only a few minutes. Kasumi casually greeted some of her new acquaintances as she passed, but didn't pause for very long at any one place, while she guided Ryoga through the throng of people on the busy street, managing to keep him from bumping into others too much.

Kasumi led Ryoga through a door. "Be careful okay Ryoga, there are some stairs here." She said, continuing to pull him along. They made their way up a steep flight of stairs and through another door. Pausing briefly to remove their shoes and step up into the room.

"Well, here we are." Kasumi said. "Over here is the bathroom." She led him a little ways further and through another door. "Here are the controls for the shower." She said, leading his hands to the taps controlling the water. "Now then, here is a cap to use in order to keep the water off your bandages as much as possible. Oh and you should wait a few minutes for the water to warm up, the building is a little old, and sometimes only cold water comes out for several minutes. We don't want your curse activating and causing more problems do we?"

Ryoga was stunned by the casual way in which Kasumi mentioned his curse. "C-c-curse?" He stammered out.

"Yes, your Jusenkyo curse." Kasumi replied airily, turning on the water for Ryoga so it could warm up.

"You know about it?!" Ryoga asked, starting to panic.

"Of course, I mean it's not as if you or Ranma try to hide it. After all he calls you Mr. P all the time, and father has told us about how you sometimes change in front of him, and of course your bandanna is rather distinctive." She paused for a moment, and shifted slightly. "Although, since you've lost your bandanna, I guess you will look like any other cute black piglet. You look different without it as a human too. With your bangs hanging down, I think you look more mature."

Ryoga was frozen from the shock of his terrible secret not being a secret, so he failed to respond.

There was a splash of water and Kasumi said, "Oh, it looks like it is warm enough now. Here," she led his hands to a small wooden stool, "you can set your clothes here while you wash, so they will stay dry. If you need any help, just let me know." Ryoga remained silent as Kasumi walked away and closed the door after her.

Ryoga stood still for a few minutes, trying to figure out the ramifications of Kasumi, and who else knowing his secret. But eventually realized that it didn't really matter. After all he had resolved to reveal it to the person it mattered to most, Akane, as soon as he was able. Still it was an abrupt shock that his most closely guarded secret was actually common knowledge.

He mechanically removed the clothes Kasumi had given him, and moved into the stream of flowing water, letting the warm liquid cascade over his body, washing away the grime that had accumulated. The pounding water relaxed him, and soon Ryoga found himself enjoying the shower while cleaning himself, careful not to disrupt the bandage wrapped around his head, securing theprotective padding against his eyes.

Ryoga allowed himself to find solace in the hot water for several minutes, but reluctantly finished up and dried himself off. He once more navigated through putting on his clothes, and with a deep breath, fumbled for the opening to the door to the bathroom.

"Finished already Ryoga?" Asked Kasumi as he opened the door. She walked toward him, and once again took him by the hand. "Come over here and I'll change your bandages." She led him a little from the bathroom door and to a small bed where she indicated he should sit.

Ryoga was very nervous, although Kasumi was acting as kind and as attentive as usual, he couldn't help but feel that somehow their relationship had changed since she had revealed knowing about his curse. Like she knew everything about him, and he knew nothing of her. He felt exposed and afraid in front of her.

Kasumi moved away from the bed for a few moments, but quickly returned and sat down next to Ryoga. "Okay Ryoga, promise me that you'll keep your eyes closed. The doctors said that you shouldn't open them at all for the next two weeks."

"I promise." Ryoga gulped.

He felt a light, almost ghostly touch on the back of his head. Kasumi had leaned forward and was gently but deftly unwinding the bandage from Ryoga's still slightly damp hair. Ryoga marveled at Kasumi's touch. It was soft and gentle, he could barely feel her long narrow fingers as they untucked and unwound his bandage. It was a touch unlike any he could remember. Most of the time the only people who touched him were other martial artists, and their touches consisted of hits or kicks. Even the few times someone had touched him in a friendly manner, they had usually been slightly rough, confident in Ryoga's innate toughness to stand up under a friendly slap on the back and the like.

But Kasumi was treating him as if he were made of glass, as if he were valuable and delicate. It was both strange, and somehow pleasant.

After a few moments Kasumi had unwound the bandage and had removed the protective cotton pads which had covered Ryoga's eyes. She then did a better job of drying off his head than he had done, gently rubbing him dry with a small towel, and then put fresh cotton pads over his eyes and quickly replaced his bandage.

"There we go, all done." Kasumi said, pausing for a moment to brush a few errant strands of hair out of Ryoga's face. He blushed for some reason, unused to such close attention.

"Well then, " Ryoga said abruptly. "Let's get going shall we?" He rose quickly, hoping that Kasumi wouldn't see just how she was affecting him.

"Alright, let me just get my things together." Kasumi replied. She also rose from the bed and quickly walked back and forth around the room. In no time at all she announced, "All right, I'm all packed up. Let's go."

Ryoga being the chivalrous person he was spoke up, "If you'd like, I can carry your bags for you. I might be blind, but I'm still strong."

Kasumi laughed and handed him the handle to a bag. "I don't think that will be much of a problem, I traveled very lightly this trip and this is my only bag."

She really did travel lightly, Ryoga thought, the bag she had handed him was very small and extremely light.

"Well then, let's go home Ryoga." Kasumi said, folding her hand into his unoccupied one and leading him out of the room and back downstairs.

She once again led him into the crowded street, but they hadn't gone too far when Kasumi was hailed by an older masculine voice. "Miss Tendo! Over here!"

Kasumi paused for a moment, and then led Ryoga toward where the voice had come from.

"Mr. Saito," she said, "it's so nice to see you again."

"Ah, Miss Tendo, it's always so pleasant to see you. And this must be the young man you were telling me about before. I see, I see, it's no wonder that you didn't seem too interested in my Shou when you had such a handsome fellow waiting for you."

"Oh, it's nothing like that Mr. Saito." Kasumi replied. "Ryoga, this is Mr. Saito, I told you about him. Mr. Saito, this is my friend, Ryoga Hibiki."

Ryoga bowed politely in the direction he heard Mr. Saito's voice coming from, and said, "A pleasure to meet you sir."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you too young man. I heard about what happened to your eyes. Seems like such a shame. I hope that you recover soon, after all it would really be a shame if Miss Tendo's beauty went to waste because her boyfriend couldn't enjoy her appearance now wouldn't it." Mr. Saito gave off a deep laugh, while Ryoga blushed.

"It's not like that." Ryoga said, "Kasumi and I are friends."

"Oh sure, sure, whatever you say young man." Replied Mr. Saito dismissively.

"Excuse me." Kasumi interrupted. "But we really should be going or we will miss our train. It was nice to meet you Mr. Saito, goodbye."

"Goodbye you two, and good luck!" Mr. Saito shouted out after them while Kasumi and Ryoga walked away.

"Don't worry about what Mr. Saito was saying Ryoga." Kasumi said, "He just likes to tease people is all."

The rest of the walk to the station was traveled in silence, Ryoga focused on trying to follow Kasumi closely so he didn't jerk on her hand, while at the same time trying not to crush her hand by accidentally applying more force than he meant to.

Once they arrived at the station, Kasumi quickly purchased their tickets and led Ryoga out onto the platform. Their timing was perfect, and they reached the platform just as their train was pulling into the station. They waited the few minutes it took for the passengers to disembark, then entered the train and found a pair of seats next to one another.

Soon the train was making its way south toward Nerima, and Ryoga found himself relaxing into his seat, the motion of the train soothing him. But not as much as it soothed Kasumi apparently. About an hour into their trip, Ryoga felt Kasumi lean heavily against him, and rest her head on his shoulder. He panicked for a moment, but brought himself under control when he heard her deep, even breathing and realized that she had fallen asleep.

Ryoga tried to stay as still as he could in order to be the best pillow for Kasumi he could be, but after a while he couldn't help but notice that she smelled very nice. Like soap and flowers, like sunlight and a summer day. The movement of the train, as well as Kasumi's warm and welcome presence, served to rock Ryoga to sleep, and he soon joined Kasumi in slumber.

He was awoken when the train began to slow down, signaling that it was approaching the Nerima station. Ryoga shifted slightly in his seat, which served to wake up Kasumi. She snuggled against Ryoga for a moment, but seemed to freeze up abruptly. She then quickly sat up and stretched her arms.

"Oh my, I fell asleep. I hope I didn't bother you Ryoga." She said.

Ryoga smiled in reply. "No, I fell asleep a little after you, you didn't bother me at all."

"That's good. Oh, it looks like we're home." At that moment, the train came to a halt and the other passengers immediately began to leave their seats and make their way off the train. Kasumi once more took Ryoga's hand, and gently led him out of his seat, and off the train.

They made their way out of the station, and Ryoga suddenly became nostalgic. The area they had stepped into was much less crowded than the city they had left. There was still the sound of traffic and of people talking, but it was much more muted. The breeze sighed in the trees, and somehow Ryoga knew he was in Nerima. For perhaps the first time in his life, he knew intuitively where he was, and it only took him being blind for it to happen.

The two made the rest of the journey in relative silence. It was less than twenty minutes later that Kasumi began to slow her pace, and turned away from the street they had been walking down.

"Home sweet home." She said, pausing for a moment, before Ryoga heard the sound of a door opening. Kasumi led him inside, and almost immediately they were confronted by a very vocal welcome.

"Wah! My daughter has finally returned home!" Shouted Mr. Tendo. Ryoga could feel the vibration of someone running up and embracing Kasumi which caused her to release her hold on Ryoga's hand.

"Hey sis," called out a voice Ryoga recognized as belonging to Nabiki. "Welcome back, usually we expect Akane to be the one to go wandering off, I'm kind of surprised it was you this time. I see you found Ryoga though. That's nice. Come in, we just had dinner delivered, let's get to it while it's still warm."

Kasumi moved deeper into the house, accompanied by her father. Ryoga quietly followed in their wake.

"Oh Ryoga, we were so worried about you!" Said Akane when they turned a corner and entered a new room.

"Aw, I told you that Mr. P over there would be alright, no matter what happened." Ranma said dismissively. Although he quickly got up from his position and walked over toward Ryoga. "Hey Ryoga, I heard about the eye thing man, that sucks. But hey, maybe you can learn some of those Shaolin Monk techniques, that'd be cool right?" He patted Ryoga on the shoulder, "Here man, you can sit by me and tell me how you managed to get strong enough to put a hole in the moon while we eat."

Ryoga had been stunned when Akane had spoken out, his promise to tell her about his curse gluing him to the spot, but his attention was suddenly diverted to Ranma.

"What do you mean a hole in the moon?" He asked as Ranma led him into the room and pushed down on his shoulder, seating him in front of a table.

"You mean you don't know man?" Ranma asked incredulously. "That shi shi hokodan you did a couple of weeks ago totaled some woods near here and blew a hole in the moon. Not a really big one of course, but still… I mean, I could probably do that too, but you must have been really depressed to pull that one off huh?"

Ryoga's recollection of the event was hazy at best. But he remembered the pain, the sadness, the depression he had been feeling shortly after leaving the Nerima Emergency Room. "Yeah, I don't think I want to be able to ever pull off something like that again." He said to Ranma who was now sitting next to Ryoga, putting something on a plate in front of him.

Ranma pressed some chopsticks into Ryoga's hand and said, "Well maybe you should try basing your attacks on some other emotion, like stubbornness, I mean you've got a lot of that too. Anyway, here try some of this, it's really good." So saying Ranma began to eat.

Ryoga however was not feeling particularly hungry, he knew that Akane was close by, and he was a man of his word.

"Um Akane, there is something I was wanting to talk to you about." He announced, swallowing in anticipation.

"Okay Ryoga, what is it?" Akane answered across the table from him.

"Actually I was hoping that we could talk in private." Ryoga said.

"Oh, well can it wait until after dinner?"

Ryoga felt his courage waning, "sure, it can wait."

"Gonna confess your undying love or what man?" Whispered Ranma to Ryoga around a mouthful of something.

Ryoga simply ignored Ranma, and attempted to eat whatever it was on his plate. A noodle dish of some sort. After a few tries though, Ryoga gave up the endeavor, and resigned himself to waiting for Akane to finish so he could tell her how he had betrayed her.

"Father." Kasumi said abruptly.

"Yes Kasumi?" Mr. Tendo asked. He had finally relinquished his hold of his daughter in order to take his normal place at the head of the table.

"As you know, Ryoga here was injured during a fight, which caused him to be blind. The doctors thought that he might be able to recover his sight if he were to rest for a few weeks though. Could we please let him stay here until he has healed?" She asked in her sweetest voice.

Mr. Tendo was no match. "Of course Kasumi, all martial artists must be as benevolent as they are strong. We protect the weak, especially when their weakness is no fault of their own. Ryoga is welcome to stay for as long as he needs to."

"Great, another freeloader." Muttered Nabiki from next to Akane.

Ryoga became slightly angry. He was many things, but a freeloader was not one of them. "I can assure you that I will pay for my room and board." He said in Nabiki's direction. But suddenly remembered that he didn't have his pack with his documents with him anymore. "Although, I'm afraid that I don't have my checkbook with me anymore." He finished lamely.

Nabiki snorted in amused contempt, but Kasumi suddenly announced. "Oh my, I forgot, Ryoga I still have all your paperwork from when I checked you into the Emergency Room, including your checkbook. Wait just a minute and I'll get them for you."

"No, that's fine." Ryoga said hastily. "Right now, I think you're better suited to keeping them than I am." He shuddered slightly at the thought of being blind and at the mercy of Nabiki if she knew he possessed a source of money.

"Well alright, if you say so." Kasumi said.

The rest of the dinner passed in only minor conversation. Ryoga was very quiet, keeping to himself, mentally preparing for the struggle that was to come.

All too soon, Akane announced that she was finished.

"You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about Ryoga?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, in private please."

"We can go talk in the dojo then." She said, standing up from the table.

Ryoga followed suit, but paused when Kasumi quietly asked him, "Do you want me to take you to the dojo Ryoga?"

"No, I think that what I have to say to Akane should be kept between us. Thank you though Kasumi." He smiled in her direction, then followed the draft of air Akane left while making her way to the dojo.

A few minutes later and Akane had closed the door to the dojo, leaving them separated from the rest of the house. "Okay Ryoga, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

Ryoga stood silently for a moment, a war raging in his chest, but he broke the silence abruptly. "A-Akane, I … that is, well … You know how Ranma has a curse right?" He mentally chided himself at the stupid question.

"Uh, yeah?" She responded.

"Well, when he and his father were cursed, I happened to be in the area, because I was tracking Ranma down in order to exact my revenge. Which now looking back on it, seems like a poor reason…" Ryoga realized that he was rambling. "What I'm trying to tell you Akane, is that … well, Ranma's not the only one with a Jusenkyo curse."

There was a pause for a few seconds. Ryoga continued, "I have one too. I turn into … a black piglet." He mumbled over the last part.

"Into what?" Asked Akane.

"A black piglet. I'm Mr. P." Ryoga finally said resignedly.

"You … you're Mr. P? You mean all those nights … that was you?!"

"Yes." Ryoga answered dully, turning away from Akane slightly.

The dojo was silent for a few moments. Then Ryoga felt one of the hardest slaps in his life land on his cheek. It caused his head to jerk roughly, and almost sent him to his knees.

"You Jerk! You stupid idiot! You bastard!" Shouted Akane as she continued to reign down blows on Ryoga. He made no move to defend himself, after all he deserved her punishment for lying to her for so long.

Suddenly though, there was a stiff breeze and Akane was pulled away from Ryoga.

"That's enough Akane!" Ranma shouted. "Can't you see he's sorry, and he's injured to boot."

"Oh that bastard's gonna be sorry when I'm done with him!" Screamed Akane.

"Come on, let's go cool down." Ranma said reasonably, before whisking Akane away and out of the dojo. Ryoga could hear her angry screams echo through the neighborhood. He slumped down to the floor of the dojo, defeated. He had just alienated one of the few people who had ever cared about him.

Swirls of depressed chi began to gather around Ryoga's form, but they were soon dissipated when Kasumi's quiet voice called from the door to the dojo, "Ryoga? Are you alright?"

Ryoga turned his head toward Kasumi, and didn't say anything.

Kasumi seemed to understand his unspoken anguish though. "Here," she said, walking into the dojo and taking him by the hand, "let's get you to your room so you can rest. I'm sure that Akane will settle down soon, and eventually she'll be able to forgive you."

Ryoga mutely followed her as Kasumi led him back into the house and up the stairs. They walked through a hallway before pausing at a door. "This is Ranma and Mr. Saotome's room, but I'm sure they will share with you." Kasumi said. "I've already laid out your futon. Here it is." She led him into the room, and paused next to an unrolled futon.

Ryoga sat down next to the futon and put his head in his hands.

"Are you going to be alright?" Kasumi asked concernedly.

"Yeah." Answered Ryoga in a thick voice. "I'll be alright. I just … I think I want to be alone for a little bit."

"Okay Ryoga. But if you need anything, just let me know." Kasumi said before quietly leaving the room and closing the door after her.

Ryoga sat still for several minutes, willing his tears not to flow. But it was a doomed battle from the start. Eventually he decided that perhaps he should attempt to take his mind off things through meditation, so he adopted the lotus position.

He wasn't really able to clear his mind though. He kept remembering all the time he had spent with Akane, when she had been happy, when she had been frustrated and sad, and the final time when she had been angry. He passed several hours in this manner, and was started when a hesitant knock came from the door to the room.

"Come in." He said.

The door opened, and the footsteps he recognized belonged to Akane made their way into the room. Ryoga tensed, ready for whatever punishment Akane thought was suitable for his transgressions.

"I'm sorry." Akane said.

Ryoga was stunned.

"I'm sorry for reacting the way I did." She continued. "It's just that sometimes I get so angry I kind of lose control. I shouldn't have hit you like that. I could have handled that situation better."

"It's alright." Ryoga replied, "I deserved it."

Akane sighed. "No you didn't Ryoga. No one deserves to be hit just because they make me angry. I'll be honest with you Ryoga. I am still very angry at you. In fact I don't think that I will stop being angry with you for a very long time. You betrayed me Ryoga, you lied to me. I thought you were a friend, but you were just using me. For what I don't know. But I don't like being used."

Ryoga sat in shame for a few moments before replying, "I know what I did to you Akane. At first I pretended to be your pet because it felt nice to be loved. But every time I became Mr. P, I knew that I was deceiving you, that I was lying to you, and that I was not worthy of your love." He angrily buried his head in his hands. "I was an idiot, and I'm sorry. I know that you probably won't forgive me, but please know I am sorry, and I will never tell anyone anything you told me in private."

Akane sighed again. "I know you won't tell anyone Ryoga, and I know you're sorry. But I don't think I can forgive you, not right now at least. Maybe someday I will be able to, but I don't think we can ever be friends like we were again. You hurt me Ryoga. I think maybe we should try and avoid one another for a little while until I can look at you without wanting to hurt you. If we are going to be friends again, I think it would be a good idea that we let time heal this wound a little beforehand."

Ryoga numbly nodded his head, and Akane quickly left the room. After the door closed behind her, Ryoga laid down in his futon and used its pillow as a cover for the tears which streamed down his face. He didn't hear when Kasumi came to check in on him, or how she silently watched him for a few minutes before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

* * *

This story has undergone more revisions than any other writing project I've undertaken. Oh well, I'm fairly happy with how this chapter came out. On a slightly related note, you think it would be easy to write the POV of a blind person, but it is actually very difficult to talk about things without using visual discriptions.

I've decided to abandon my parallel methodology to writing stories, and have decided to go about it in a serial manner. Which means that my other story will be on hold until I finish this story in the next 2-3 weeks. I know that this might be a disappointment to the people who follow my other story, both of you.

Quick question, in one of the versions of this chapter a conversation is held where Cologne is discussed. As I'm sure you've noticed I've tried to stick to the English titles, Mr., Miss, etc. What I was wondering is whether Cologne should be called Miss, or Mrs. Since it is likely that she was married at least once during her life. What do you guys think? Keeping in mind as I've previously pointed out in another story that the use of Ms. is distasteful to me.


	6. Mademoiselle Nobs

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

It had been three days since Kasumi's return, and her small world had returned to its former normalcy.

But at the same time it hadn't.

On the surface the Tendo household appeared to be in a rare calm spell. No one was kidnapped, there were no plots within plots being spun for one reason or another, and the only challenge facing Ranma was with a practitioner of Martial Arts Contortionism.

Other than the fact Ranma was walking as much as he could on his hands, and the fact that he was found in random places in rather uncomfortable positions, the Tendo home was peaceful.

And yet for some reason Kasumi felt as if the peace and quiet was incomplete; like the sound of a music box with one of its tines missing.

She knew the source of the silent discord; it was because of the newest resident of the Tendo household, Ryoga Hibiki.

Kasumi sighed as she contemplated Ryoga while hanging up the last of the mountain of laundry which had been awaiting her return. The day outside was perfect, the late morning sun stirring a slight breeze which held aloft a butterfly couple which flittered amongst the clothes hanging from the line.

But the pleasant scene failed to register with Kasumi; her thoughts were on the dark and stuffy den the guest room had turned into and the silent misery of the boy who lived there as if a prisoner.

For the past three days Ryoga had kept to the room as much as possible, silent and sad. He had been avoiding the rest of the family, especially Akane. The only people Ryoga did interact with were Kasumi when she brought him meals, and Ranma and Genma briefly before they went to sleep. Of late, however, the two Saotomes had taken to going to bed later than usual and waking up earlier than normal, disquieted by the aura of misery surrounding the lost boy.

Ryoga's mood was understandable. Kasumi had been witness to the aftermath of Akane's tantrum directed at Ryoga, and had been one of the outlets that Akane had vented to later. However when Kasumi had seen how miserable Ryoga had become that night, she had felt a pang of sympathy for the lost boy, more so than she had later felt for her sister. Ryoga had revealed his secret, and possibly his love, and Akane had replied in perhaps the cruelest and most hurtful manner she could have.

Kasumi had lead Ryoga to the guest room that night, but she wasn't sure if he remembered or not. He had been withdrawn and in a state of resolved apathy. He responded to Kasumi's presence with only the barest of acknowledgements and seemed to be detached from the world around him.

Kasumi had begun to become concerned over the strange way Ryoga was acting, but had felt that she should respect his wish to be alone. However she had felt obligated to make sure that he was doing alright, so several hours after she had left him alone and the rest of the family were asleep, Kasumi had made her way down the black hallway which stretched between her room and Ryoga's.

She had almost opened the door to check on the boy, but had frozen when she recognized the muffled sounds of crying from within the room. She was troubled by the fact that life had once again visited tragedy upon Ryoga, but at the same time part of her was relieved that Ryoga was letting his pain and frustration out in a non-destructive way. The emotionally shocked young man she had guided through the house a few hours earlier had born little resemblance to the Ryoga she knew. The return of the emotional young man who was her friend was a welcome relief.

* * *

Kasumi placed the basket she used to carry the laundry upside down on the porch in its usual location close to the laundry lines and readily at hand for when she folded the laundry, usually an hour or so after she hung it up to dry.

She turned and made sure that the clothes and bed linens she had hung up were satisfactory clipped to their lines, and then made her way into the darkened house. It was a school day and the two patriarchs had disappeared somewhere with only a vague excuse, leaving Kasumi alone as usual. Well, this time alone with Ryoga.

Often when working around the house, doing her daily chores in the solitude she had come to enjoy, Kasumi preferred to rely on natural lighting. She felt that it gave the house a warmer, gentler feel, and it didn't make sense to waste money on electricity when she was the only one there.

The sunlight poured through the open doorway and the windows, spilling across dusted and polished furniture, reflecting off the mirror like floor, catching the occasional solitary dust mote in mid descent. After three days of cleaning the house was almost up to Kasumi's usual standards of cleanliness and order. Almost.

She strolled through the alternating bands of light and shadow created by the windows, skillfully maneuvering around furniture with the ease of years of practice before floating up the stairs.

Kasumi paused at the top of the staircase; the second floor hallway was much darker than the first floor had been, owing to the fact that most of the doors leading from the hallway were shut fast, trapping the sunlight on one side of the doors and the dark corridor on the other.

She hesitantly peered into the gloom leading to the guest bedroom. It wasn't that she was frightened by either the darkness or by Ryoga; rather she hesitated because she was concerned.

She was concerned about Ryoga. She could understand his feelings, the reasons for his despondency. The fear, anger, and sadness stemming from years of being alone, always lost in a huge and intimidating world, the months and years of unrequited rivalry destroyed by grudging respect, the shame and feeling of weakness from his sudden blindness, and finally the rejection of his first and perhaps only love.

Kasumi could understand his sadness and depression, but she wasn't sure how to best help him. While she had been subject to the occasional bouts of sadness and melancholy inherent in being alone in a crowd, her brief flirtations with depression paled in comparison with the depths of sadness Ryoga routinely navigated.

Should she leave him alone to sort out his thoughts and feelings by himself? Or would that cause him to withdraw again, to become uncaring and apathetic, resigned to having terrible things happen to him? Would it be better if she comforted him, forced him to open up and enjoy life? Or would he come to see her as overstepping her bounds as a friend and come to resent her, even dislike her?

Kasumi was conflicted and confused over which path to take, but she did know that she wanted to help the poor boy. She wanted him to smile and laugh, and not in the carefully reserved way he had during their occasional conversations together in the past. She wanted him to be happy, to act like a normal person, not the tragic figure that life had beaten him into.

Kasumi knew firsthand that for some things, deep and painful things, time by itself was not enough to make the ache go away. And sometimes the ache never does go away. It might become smaller and more manageable, but if the wound is deep enough, it will always be with a person, tainting how they view the world. Kasumi knew that the pain Ryoga had gone through was deep and powerful, but she hoped that if he had help, perhaps his pain would become a little smaller, and instead of being the dominate force in his life, it would merely become a facet of his personality. A side of him softened by times of happiness and joy.

Perhaps Ryoga had been left alone and forced to be by himself for too long. For years he had wandered alone, with no one to turn to for strength and support other than himself. Maybe if he had a helping hand, someone who was kind without an agenda, maybe Ryoga would be able to overcome the bleak shadow of sadness which had for so long been cast over his life.

So with no definite plan in mind, but with the feeling that she had to help Ryoga, Kasumi made her way deeper into the gloom of the hallway. She stopped in front of the door leading to his room and raised her hand to knock her gentle tap.

"Please come in Kasumi," came the response from the other side.

Kasumi was momentarily surprised at Ryoga's ability to recognize her merely from the way in which she knocked on the door, but quickly brushed it aside. After all her sister Nabiki had been performing a similar trick for years.

Kasumi pushed open the door and noted the changes in the guest room. Usually the Saotomes kept it clean and Spartan, the few furnishings augmented only slightly by the few personal items they had brought with them. This had always led the room to seem large, light, and open.

But for some reason ever since Ryoga had arrived, even though he had brought nothing tangible with him, the room seemed smaller and darker.

The darkness in the room was disturbed only by the light from the window. A weak and feeble light which struggled through the pane and bravely fought its way across the floor before tragically dying on the far side of the figure sitting in the middle of the room, illuminating his back in bright light and casting his front into dark shadow.

Ryoga was sitting in his now signature lotus position. Ever since his return from the hospital he had devoted most of his time either to meditation or sleep. Kasumi thought that perhaps he had few options to occupy his time in his self imposed exile.

When she had watched him meditate in the hospital, Kasumi had noticed that Ryoga's posture had seemed … hopeful maybe. His broad shoulders had been square, his back straight, and his face expressed stoic boredom. He had seemed almost happy, confident that he would have the chance to regain his sight.

But now… Perhaps it was the darkened room, but the Ryoga Kasumi now saw seemed to have been defeated. His shoulders were stooped and he was bent slightly forward, causing his long bangs to hang down, casting an even deeper shadow over the bright white bandage which was wrapped around his head.

While he appeared healthier than when Kasumi had first seen him in the hospital bed, Ryoga was far from his old self. He was still extremely pale, and had lost a lot of weight. Whereas before, if Ryoga had borrowed Ranma's clothing, his large frame would likely have strained the seams, those same borrowed clothes now hung loosely around him. His cheeks were sunken, giving his face the impression of belonging to an older man, and the hands he held slightly curled up on his knees were thin and fragile, seemingly unsuited to make a fist, much less destroy a boulder.

"Hello Ryoga," Kasumi said, breaking the heavy silence of the room. "Are you feeling alright today?"

Ryoga didn't move or otherwise react to the sound of Kasumi's voice for several moments, but then suddenly and quietly replied, "I'm feeling … fine." He then sighed deeply, belying the fact that he was still caught in the depths of depression.

Silence threatened to cut short the life of their fledgling conversation, but Kasumi quickly beat it back.

"It's a beautiful day outside, would you like to come down and keep me company? I think that the fresh air would be a nice change from this stuffy room, and I would appreciate having someone around to talk to."

Ryoga tilted his head slightly in consideration before responding, "Is anyone else at home?"

Kasumi however heard his true question: is Akane home? She mentally sighed. She understood Ryoga's desire to avoid Akane and the awkwardness which would come from their meeting. But at the same time Kasumi didn't like how Ryoga had chosen to seclude himself from almost all contact with the outside world just to avoid her sister.

"No. No one's home right now, it's a school day. So it's just you and me," Kasumi replied.

Ryoga exhaled a breath neither of them had been aware he had been holding. He tilted his head up, revealing the bandage covering his eyes, and gave Kasumi a rather wane smile.

"Yes, I have been feeling a little cooped up," he said. "It would be nice to breathe some fresh air."

Kasumi smiled in reply, both to Ryoga's smile and his answer. "Well, I just finished hanging up the laundry, so I was thinking of having lunch while waiting for it to dry. We can have it out on the porch and enjoy the nice day."

Ryoga's smile became firmer and more authentic as he responded, "That sounds great." He slowly stood up, stretching muscles which were likely still stiff from his stay at the hospital.

Kasumi hovered nearby in case Ryoga needed help, but perhaps somehow sensing her intent, Ryoga smiled reassuringly in her direction and proceeded to carefully walk out of the room, pausing in the hallway only long enough to rest his hand on the wall in order to orientate himself.

With hesitant confidence Ryoga slowly made his way down the hallway with Kasumi following a little ways behind. Far enough behind to allow Ryoga to walk by himself but close enough to help him if he stumbled.

A part of her missed the feel of his hand in hers as she guided him wherever he needed to go. It had felt good to be truly relied and depended upon, without being taken for granted. It was a feeling Kasumi had too rarely felt.

Ryoga made his way to the turn in the wall which indicated the beginning of the stairs. He groped around for a few seconds before Kasumi reached past him and, after clasping his hand in hers, guided him to the banister.

He seemed to stiffen slightly at her touch, but then completely engrossed himself in the task of walking down the stairs one step at a time, without plunging head first down them.

At the bottom, Ryoga paused in confusion, likely due to the fact that he wasn't familiar with the layout of the first floor of the Tendo house, despite his frequent visits.

Kasumi took him by the hand and guided him the short distance to the open door leading to the backyard. The wonderful weather hadn't changed during Kasumi's absence. The sun was gently pouring down, causing an intermittent breeze to softly waft across the yard, ruffling the tops of the trees and causing the clothes on the line to billow out and dance like untied sails on a ship.

"Here we are," said Kasumi as she pulled away from Ryoga and for the first time truly appreciated the beauty of the day.

She turned back to Ryoga with a smile to tell him she was going to prepare lunch, but she paused without saying anything when she caught sight of his face.

Ryoga was breathing the clean air in deeply but slowly. The breeze ruffled his hair, allowing occasional flashes of his forehead to peek through his bangs. The embryonic beginnings of a smile caused his face to seem somehow fuller and healthier. Under the warm sunlight his shirt became flaming red and contrasted with his glossy raven black hair, making him seem vibrant and full of life.

Kasumi hesitantly interrupted the delicate peace surrounding Ryoga. "If you'll wait here, I'll just be a minute getting lunch prepared," she said softly.

Ryoga nodded slightly in reply and Kasumi quickly left him to connect to nature.

She made her way through the dining room and into the kitchen which was flooded with light from the large windows above the kitchen sink. Ever since their return from the hospital, Kasumi had kept Ryoga's blindness in mind while cooking for him. Which meant that she had been preparing dishes which were easy to eat with only the hands. Lunch that day was no exception.

She quickly prepared a simple lunch out of miso soup leftover from breakfast, a plate of freshly prepared dumplings, and a warm pot of green tea. She lifted an old and heavily textured teapot down from the cupboard. She was fond of it despite its rather drab brown appearance. Kasumi smiled wistfully as she reminisced while cleaning the teapot and filtering green tea into it.

When she had been a very young girl, she had been curious as to why her tea tasted so different from her mother's. She had thought about the issue rather intently and had eventually arrived at the answer; it was because her mother used a different teapot. One that was beautifully decorated with a blue field and a sky full of blue birds captured in mid-flight.

So the young Kasumi decided that if she used the beautiful tea set to make tea, she would be able to brew tea well enough to impress her mother. Unfortunately the tea set was stored on top of the cabinet in the kitchen, far out of Kasumi's reach, and she had been forbidden from climbing up that high in case she should fall and hurt herself.

With the confident knowledge only small children can possess, Kasumi had rationalized that if she were able to brew the perfect cup of tea, all her other transgressions could be forgiven. So she had set a chair against the cabinet, and climbed up, and stood on her tiptoes in order to reach her mother's teapot. But it was just slightly out of her reach, so with a hop, Kasumi jumped up and grabbed the teapot. Almost.

She had watched as the teapot tumbled end over end, before smashing itself into oblivion on the hard kitchen floor. Her mother, hearing the frightful crash, had raced in to see if Kasumi had been hurt. Kasumi, fearful that her mother would scold her for breaking the rules and destroying her favorite teapot, began to cry.

It had taken Kasumi's mother several minutes to calm the distraught girl down enough to find out that she wasn't injured. And once Kasumi had explained what had happened, interrupted frequently by sniffing back her tears, her mother, instead of being furious that she had destroyed something so valuable, merely hugged her and told her that she was glad that Kasumi hadn't been hurt.

The next day her mother had taken Kasumi out shopping and they had picked up the cheap brown teapot. For, as Kasumi's mother had told her, it wasn't the beauty of the pot which made the tea taste better, but the love of the person brewing it. She had then taught Kasumi how to brew the best tasting green tea in the plain looking teapot.

Kasumi didn't normally use the tea set, mostly due to the fact that it held so many memories for her, and she wanted to protect it from possible harm. Also, Nabiki had once commented on how ugly it had looked and had questioned why Kasumi didn't use a nicer set. So Kasumi kept it hidden from view and only used it when she was alone.

Ten, perhaps fifteen minutes quickly passed, and Kasumi was finished preparing the meal. She had retrieved the dumplings from their steam bath and had transported them to a shallow bowl made of woven bamboo, protected by a cross-thatched lid. The miso soup now rested in a white porcelain bowl upon which blue waterfalls cascaded from blue mountains and flowed into glossy blue plains. Two small bowls matching their larger brethren in decoration if not size, were carefully stacked beside the tea set in the middle of a large platter. Next to these she had placed two plates, plain in their shell white appearance, but heavily ridged near the edges.

Having cleaned most of the dishes she had used to make lunch already, Kasumi left the few remaining offenders in the sink to be washed at a later time. She picked up the lunch platter and without the slightest clank or clatter of the dishes upon it, made her way back through the house and to the porch where Ryoga was waiting.

She found the lost boy sitting down at the edge of the porch, at the sudden drop off separating the backyard from the house. He was sitting with both his legs and arms crossed, leaning slightly against one of the many columns which supported the overhanging roof of the porch.

Though Kasumi didn't think that she had made any sound to betray her presence, Ryoga turned his head slightly to acknowledge her as she emerged from the door leading into the house.

"You were right," he said over his shoulder as Kasumi carefully set the tray down and seated herself. "It's a nice day, and I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it back upstairs."

Kasumi adjusted her dress around her legs to make her more comfortable, and then began to set out the various cups and bowls she had brought.

"Well, I've always thought that beautiful days are even nicer when you have someone to share them with," she replied while gracefully ladling the soup into the smaller porcelain bowls.

Ryoga turned to better face Kasumi, putting his back to the support he had been leaning on. The nearly noon sunlight seemed to soothe him and erased some of the tension from his face which he often suffered from.

"I think you're right." He shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable against the pillar. "I've seen some of the most beautiful places in the world; the Alps in spring, the Great Plains in fall, the Amazon in winter, and Mt. Fuji in summer. Yet I don't think I ever took the time to enjoy their simple beauty. I was always worried about how lost I was and where I was trying to get to next. All those great vistas pale in comparison to the joy I get from sharing a warm spring day in the company of a friend."

Kasumi blushed lightly at the praise, and quickly steered the conversation to more neutral waters.

"Here," she said, gently reaching out and grasping Ryoga's hand. "These are some dumplings I just finished making." She led his hand to the edge of the large, heavily textured plate she had placed them on. She then guided his hand to the right of the plate until it made contact with a small porcelain bowl, now filled partially with soup. "And here is some miso soup. I hope you don't mind it being leftover from breakfast, but usually when I'm alone I don't go to the trouble of cooking a lot for myself."

Ryoga smiled and chuckled lightly before replying, "You're talking to the guy who is probably ninety percent salt from all the instant food he's eaten over his life. I'm sure that even if you had made this last week, the soup would still be fine."

Kasumi smiled bashfully at his comment, slightly glad that he wasn't able to see just how much his praise was affecting her. She then once more pulled Ryoga's hand, this time to the other side of the plate of dumplings, and closed it around the steep sides of the plain brown teacup she had set out for him. "And this is the tea," she concluded, "be careful, it's still quite hot."

She then reluctantly let go of Ryoga's large and warm hand and began to set out her own portion of lunch. Ryoga meanwhile seemed slightly lost after his loss of contact with Kasumi, but then found his way back to the plate of dumplings, and then from there over to the bowl of soup. He gingerly picked it up and took a small sip.

The two lapsed into a companionable silence for the next few minutes, each enjoying the presence of the other, without feeling the need to fill the air with meaningless pleasantries.

Ryoga focused the majority of his attention on the food in front of him, devouring it in a methodological way, rather than the more voracious manner in which Ranma and his father ate.

Kasumi also enjoyed the meal, but where Ryoga devoured, Kasumi sampled. Just a small taste of each dish was enough for her. So while Ryoga ate, Kasumi relaxed and allowed the warm breeze to flow over her and blow her problems away.

The grass in the Tendo's backyard was too short to ripple in the light but steady breeze. But Kasumi found herself imagining being in a place where the grass was tall, wild, and unkempt. A plain which stretched far into the distance in all directions before transforming first into rolling hills and then into towering mountains. A place where the light reflected off the ocean of vegetation, where the sun was warm and the wind was cool, creating rolling waves in the grass for which there was no shore to crash upon. A place where the silence and tranquility was broken not by the noise of traffic, but of the wind, the gentle sway of the grass, and the occasional twittering of some hidden bird tossed about in the calm tempest.

Kasumi's pleasant day dream was interrupted when Ryoga suddenly commented, "I was wrong." Kasumi turned to regard the boy who had finished off all the food set before him, and was sipping his tea contemplatively.

"Oh," she asked. "About what?"

"The soup," he replied with a stoic expression on his face, revealing nothing. "I was wrong, it wasn't fine." He paused for a moment and Kasumi began to apologize, but then Ryoga continued. "Actually, it was great," he said, breaking into a large mischievous grin, "Probably the best miso soup I've tasted since … well, since the last time I managed to find my way here."

Kasumi felt a momentary spark of anger at being tricked by Ryoga, but it was drowned out by the happiness she felt due to Ryoga feeling better, enough for him to make jokes. She felt herself respond to Ryoga's smile with a small one of her own.

"Well, I'm glad that you liked it. Was the rest of the meal alright as well?"

"Wonderful," he replied. "And thank you for using beef instead of pork in the dumplings. After about the fourth or fifth time someone tried to cook me I kind of lost my appetite for pork." He slumped his shoulders slightly, probably in remembrance of all the chefs he had encountered with large and sharp knives.

Kasumi's smile fell slightly at Ryoga's turn in mood. "That must have been quite alarming," she said, picking up her tea cup. "I can't imagine how it must feel to fear for your life every time you encounter cold water. Especially if you transform as much as Ranma does."

Ryoga set down his almost empty tea cup before replying in a reflective manner, "Well it's not like someone tries to eat me every time I change. Most of the time I'm able to change back without too much trouble. But when things do go badly … well it's never fun. And that happens a lot more often then I'd like."

Kasumi's reply was interrupted by a loud staccato knocking from the front door of the house. Kasumi, surprised, put down her tea cup without thought and leapt up out of years of conditioning.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said to Ryoga, and then bustled back into the house. "Just a moment," she called out sweetly as she approached the front door. She turned the lock and opened the door to find Cologne perched atop her ever present staff.

"Grandmother, what a surprise," Kasumi exclaimed while opening the door wider.

"Hello Kasumi. I hope that you and you're family are doing well," Cologne replied. "I heard that my wayward onetime student was visiting you, and thought I would come over to see how he was doing."

"Oh my, well Ryoga just returned from the hospital a few days ago. The doctors said that with two weeks of rest he would be feeling better. So we're letting him stay here instead of getting lost and aggravating his condition."

"Well then, may I see him," Cologne asked.

Kasumi moved further out of the way, giving the older woman room to enter as she replied, "Oh yes, I'm sure that some company would cheer Ryoga up. He hasn't really seen too many people since he came back from the hospital."

Before she entered, Cologne, from seemingly nowhere, produced a large box with the Cat Cafe's logo on it and held it out to Kasumi with one hand."With so many men under the same roof, I thought it might be difficult to constantly feed them, so I brought you some ramen from our store as a present."

"Oh my, how thoughtful," Kasumi said as she reached out to take the offered box. However, when Kasumi lifted the box from Cologne's hand, she struggled to keep it from plummeting to the ground. It was much heavier than Cologne had made it seem.

"Please come in," Kasumi said with only a slightly strained smile. "Ryoga's out back, I'll just drop this off in the kitchen, then take you to him."

Cologne entered the foyer, giving Kasumi room to close the door. Kasumi then led the way further into the house, pausing in the kitchen long enough to put the box on the kitchen table. Unencumbered, she then led the Amazon through the sun-filled dining room and out onto the porch.

"Ryoga," Kasumi called out, fixing the lost boy's attention on her. "Grandmother Cologne has stopped by to see how you're doing." She then turned to Cologne who had paused in following Kasumi after she had left the frame of the door leading outside. "Please pardon our mess; we were just finishing lunch when you came. Please excuse me while I clean up and get these things out of the way." Kasumi nodded toward the patter which had the remnants of their lunch upon it.

"I apologize for coming at an inappropriate time and inconveniencing you," Cologne said.

"Oh my, not at all," Kasumi replied as she picked up and stacked the various dishes left over from their meal. "Ryoga and I were just finishing. Weren't we Ryoga?" However the mentioned boy remained silent. He had turned his face away from the two women and seemed focused on the sound of the nearby clothes fluttering in the breeze with a glower on his face for some reason.

Kasumi turned to look back at Cologne as she straightened up with the platter of dishes in her hand. "This will just take a moment to clean up. Would you like some tea Grandmother?"

Cologne smiled up at Kasumi. "That would be lovely dear." She turned her head to look in Ryoga's direction before continuing, "Meanwhile this young man and I will catch up with one another."

Kasumi smiled in return, then made her graceful exit. She quickly returned to the kitchen where she set down her load on the counter next to the sink. She chose another tea set, this one newer and more ornate, as well as smoother, than the one she had used for Ryoga and herself. This one was light green with lines of almost abstract symbolism etched into the sides in a darker, almost black shade of green.

She set about steeping the tea, and took the opportunity to remove the many bowls of ramen from the box Cologne had brought and placed them in the fridge. She returned just in time to pour the tea before it had steeped for too long. She placed the teapot along with three matching cups on a small tray.

Kasumi picked up the tray and made her sedate way back to the porch. As she was passing through the dining room, she overheard Ryoga declaring, " … not dead! Alright? And I can control it you old ba-" Kasumi accidentally tripped slightly, causing the tea cups to clink against one another. Ryoga paused for a moment, and when he began speaking again he was much more subdued and less aggressive in his tone. "Grandmother Cologne, the Shi Shi Hokodan is my most powerful attack, and I control it, it doesn't control me. I only use it when I want to, so just forget about me never using it again."

"Oh really, you can control it?" Cologne replied. She had followed Ryoga's example and was sitting down on the edge of the porch, her staff resting on the ground in front of her, leaning against the side of the porch. She was in the midst of packing a pipe full of tobacco when Kasumi returned and began to set down the tea set in between them, placing a cup near each person. "So you were in complete control of that last Shi Shi Hokodan you did? To willingly pour that much energy into an attack directed at no one, you must have been holding back quite a bit in your fights against Ranma."

Ryoga frowned in the direction of Cologne, but he seemed to be contemplating something. Kasumi finished pouring the tea and handed the first cup to Cologne. "Thank you child," Cologne said, setting down her unlit pipe to accept the cup with both hands.

Kasumi then poured another cup, the green tea slightly darker than the light green glaze of the cup, warming the cool porcelain to a pleasant temperature. She held the cup in one hand, and gently placed the fingers of her other hand on Ryoga's arm. He instinctively reached up and grasped her hand, and Kasumi pressed the cup of tea into his hand. She was rewarded with a small smile from Ryoga, as well as a murmured, "Thank you Kasumi." She then scooted back further toward the door to the house, and tended to her own cup, wishing to fade into the background as she often did, allowing other people to better enjoy their conversations without her presence being a burden.

The next few minutes were passed in complete silence while all three appreciated the fine tea complemented by the beautiful day. But after only sampling half her cup of tea, Cologne broke the silence by setting down her tea and picking up her pipe, finally lighting it.

She puffed on it gently to aid the tobacco catching, and she softly said around the pipe, "truthfully I wish you had never learned that particular technique." The fire caught, and Cologne drew a breath of smoke, exhaling in appreciation while ignoring Ryoga's angry glower. "Tell me, do you know the history of the Shi Shi Hokodan, boy?" she suddenly asked.

"Not really," Ryoga grudgingly admitted, the sunlight reflecting off the cup of tea in his hand to create a circle of light on his face. "The scroll I learned it from mentioned that it was meant to be used by miners so they could get out of collapsed tunnels."

Cologne blew out another lungful of smoke, and as it disappeared into the sky she responded, "Yes, that was probably the intention of the technique's creator..." She sighed deeply. "But like many things, its original purpose was soon lost in the pursuit of what the technique could become. Have you ever heard of a man called Chien Huang?"

Kasumi shook her head and Ryoga sullenly answered, "No," and took a deep swallow of his tea, almost emptying the rest of his cup in one gulp.

Cologne got a faraway look in her eyes and turned to look out upon the Tendo's backyard without truly seeing it.

"Chien Huang lived many, many, centuries ago. He was a renowned martial artist who lived in what is now the Gansu Province in a village in the foothills of the Qilian Mountains. He was a strong and fierce fighter, much like you, one who based his techniques not on speed or flashy movements, but rather on brute strength.

"The village he lived in had a fame removed from his; it was well known for the fine quality of iron it produced, and the majority of the villagers who lived there were either miners or smelters. Including Chien's twin brother Wen. He was a miner who had no real martial arts training, and, aside from their difference in interests, the two brothers loved each other very much.

"Unfortunately one day Wen and his team of miners were caught in a cave in. Other miners, as well as all of Chien's family, worked day and night to dig them out, but when they reached the trapped miners four days after the cave in, they were all dead. Not a single one had been crushed or even scratched from the collapse; they had all died from asphyxiation.

"Chien was the one to find his brother's body, and the death of one so dear to him drove him almost insane with grief. He fell into a deep dark depression, one which he somehow coupled with his deep energy reserves, and thus the Shi Shi Hokodan was born."

"Oh my," Kasumi said softly. She could easily imagine the scene of a young man, dirty from days of digging without rest, cradling the broken body of his beloved brother. The loss of one so loved, resonated deep within Kasumi and she suddenly had a flash of a memory. Of a room full of people dressed in black, murmuring quietly at the strange way in which Kasumi's father wailed and clutched at the picture of her mother wreathed in black.

Thankfully Kasumi's flashback was interrupted when Cologne continued.

"In memory of his lost brother, Chien taught the technique to the men who worked in the mine, so they would have the chance to escape the fate of Wen. The miners were too weak to use the Shi Shi Hokodan when they weren't threatened by imminent death, but months after the cave in which killed Wen, another occurred. This time however the men who had been trapped were so desperate and fearful for their lives, they were able to summon a powerful enough blast to free themselves. Chien was hailed as a hero and the technique soon spread across the region, then across the world. At least as much of the world as was known then."

The fire in her pipe dwindled and died, and Cologne with practiced ease tapped the ash out over the side of the porch, and set to refilling the pipe. Ryoga shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his cup warm from the tea Kasumi had just poured for him. Kasumi, still a bit troubled from her earlier remembrance, found a small amount of comfort in her well practiced ritual of making sure everyone else's needs were seen to.

"However," Cologne said, relighting her pipe, "as you know chi attacks are very uncommon, and can only be performed consistently by only the most skilled martial artists. As the technique spread across the land, martial artists from all regions started to flock to Chien's village in search of the amazing technique which had produced such a powerful attack.

"From the desire of others to learn the technique, the desire in Chien to perfect it was lit. Unfortunately, it would consume him. For Chien recognized both the strength and weakness of the Shi Shi Hokodan was in its dependence upon the mood of the user. Admittedly its power is partially based upon the strength of the martial artist, but the majority of its ferocity comes from the depths of despair into which the user plummets.

"So Chien began to try and force himself into ever deeper depressions in order to create ever more powerful Shi Shi Hokodans. He adopted an aesthetic lifestyle, depriving himself of not only food, water, and even a home, but going so far as to separate himself from his family. No longer finding his memory of his brother's loss enough, Chien began to travel, visiting the sites of terrible natural disasters, witnessing the horrors of battle and strife; he even studied the art of torture and human suffering. He forced himself into ever darker regions of the human soul in the quest for more power, until he could perform perfect Shi Shi Hokodans at his merest whim."

Kasumi, her hands clutched together in her lap, glanced over at Ryoga. He was sitting perfectly still, almost as if he were meditating, but the slight tightening of his jaw as Cologne detailed Chien's quest betrayed that he was paying attention. He too was an expert in the use of the Shi Shi Hokodan. Kasumi wondered what that said about the true depths of his emotions.

"But the journey to that point had destroyed the man Chien had been. He had become a hollow shell of himself, drained of all emotions such as joy, happiness, even anger. He felt nothing except a constant deep and unabating sadness, a depression so consuming that he could no longer feel it, only numbness."

Cologne paused in her telling of the tale, drawing a final breath from the pipe before it went cold again, and blew the smoke away contemplatively.

"And so Chien reached the final stage in the Shi Shi Hokodan cycle. He was empty of any positive emotion, and he was full of only the evil thoughts and feelings which prey upon humanity. He looked back upon his life, and the joy he had felt in his village was dulled, perhaps even forgotten in the shadow of the many tragedies he had been witness too. The death of his brother, earthquakes, floods, war, famine, strife... " Cologne trailed off, perhaps remembering her own experiences with the evils visited upon and caused by mankind.

"In short he had a full understanding of the pain and suffering this world holds and had forgotten that there was any good. And in that moment he plunged into the deepest and most perfect depression of his life and released the largest and most powerful Shi Shi Hokodan he ever had. The force of it ripped through his body and destroyed him.

"The same story has been repeated again and again. Every time someone who is powerful enough to use the Shi Shi Hokodan consistently learns it, they travel the same path. For the Shi Shi Hokodan poisons its users. Every time they use it, they reach a state of such depression that it is impossible to fully leave it. It scars their very soul, forcing them into an even deeper depression the next time the Shi Shi Hokodan is called upon, trapping them into a cycle which ultimately destroys them."

Kasumi inhaled sharply and looked to Ryoga to gauge his reaction to the fact that by becoming skilled in the Shi Shi Hokodan, he was flirting with his own death. The lost boy clenched his jaw in determination and balled his hands into fists.

Cologne tapped the ashes out of her pipe again, and decided not to relight it. She picked up the cup of tea at her side and sipped from it, not seeming to care that it had long ago grown cold.

"That is why I wish you never had learned such a technique," she quietly said to the world at large. "I thought that perhaps you weren't powerful enough to keep using it consistently, but I underestimated both your power and the depths of your emotions. For that I'm sorry." She turned to Ryoga who had become silent during her tale and had bowed his head to regard the floor. "But I'm asking you to please stop using the Shi Shi Hokodan, before it does kill you."

The silence stretched between them until Ryoga broke it sharply. "You want me to give up my most powerful technique," he stated.

Cologne cut her eyes in Ryoga's direction. "No, I want you to stop killing yourself a little bit at a time."

"You don't understand!" Ryoga cried out, nearly knocking his empty tea cup over while turning to better face Cologne.

"The Shi Shi Hokodan isn't just my most powerful attack, it … it's… sometimes I just feel so bad, and when I let off a Shi Shi Hokodan it takes it away, all of it. The sadness, the pain, everything. For a few blessed minutes I don't have to feel anything."

Cologne sighed. "And how much worse do you feel when everything comes back again?" She didn't wait for Ryoga to answer, but continued on, "I don't care how cathartic it is, the Shi Shi Hokodan is destroying you."

Visibly frustrated, Ryoga angrily dragged a hand through his thick black hair and tried again. "Listen you old hag, my entire life ..."

Cologne interrupted him by somehow hitting him in the head with her staff without seeming to move. "I know boy, I know. You've had a difficult life. Your days were filled with fear, despair, bullying, weakness, and hatred. Yes you've lived a hard life and your sadness has been justified. But you dwell on your pain, you collect every slight, every insult, every bad thing that happens to you, and you hold onto it, treasuring those moments the way other people treasure their most cherished memories."

Cologne sighed and removed her staff from Ryoga's face, placing it back in the position it had been. "What you need to do boy, is to realize that while you've had a hard life, now" -for some reason Cologne cast a momentary glance in Kasumi's direction- "now you have the chance for happiness, if only you'd let go of the past long enough to concentrate on the future. You can either continue using the Shi Shi Hokodan and push any chance of happiness away or you can learn to be stronger and how to love rather than hate."

Cologne seemed to have realized that she had launched into a diatribe and seemed to calm herself down.

"Well, that's just what this old woman thinks," she said. "And now I think that perhaps I've taken a long enough break. I should return to the cafe before the hired help burns the place down."

Realizing her cue, Kasumi shakily stood and, while waiting for the older woman to also collect herself, watched Ryoga as he almost visibly trembled from the anger he was feeling. Cologne didn't seem to notice Ryoga's condition and, without another glance in his direction, allowed herself to be led her once more through the house, pausing in the kitchen long enough to pick up the now empty cat cafe box which she promptly caused to disappear to wherever she stored things.

On the threshold of the front door, Cologne paused and leaned closer to Kasumi. "Give him some time dear," she said in a conspiratorial whisper. "He's a good boy, but a little slow sometimes. Don't hesitate to give him a push if he needs it."

Not entirely sure how to take the Amazon's words, Kasumi waved as Cologne left, silently closing the door to the house once she reached the street and disappeared from sight.

Still mulling over Cologne's parting statement, as well as her cautionary tale about the Shi Shi Hokodan, Kasumi slowly made her way back through the house until she came to the opening to the backyard where Ryoga was still sitting. He seemed to have calmed down during Kasumi's absence, and now seemed lost in quiet contemplation.

Not wishing to disturb him, Kasumi collected the errant teacups and place them on the tray next to the teapot. She didn't immediately pickup and carry the tray away when she had all the dishes assembled. Instead she stopped to watch Ryoga silently sit and breathe in and out, the intermittent breeze seeming to match his rhythm.

He was partially facing away from her, his sightless face seemingly focused on a far corner of the yard. The sun had shifted and now cut him in half. The side facing Kasumi was bathed in bright light, bouncing through his long bangs and accentuating his dark red lips which contrasted with his unusually pale skin. The side facing away from Kasumi, however, had been cast into deep shadow, causing even his red shirt to lose its vibrancy.

"So, what do you think," he quietly asked, before turning to regard the still kneeling Kasumi, "About what she said?" His tone was both quiet and earnest.

"I think … I think that Grandmother's story sounded true," Kasumi answered, hesitantly at first. Then words tumbled out without her meaning them to. "I've seen you when you perform your attack, and I've seen what it does to you. Every time you release it, it looks like it hurts you so much. I think that she's right, you should stop using the Shi Shi Hokodan and find some other technique you can use instead."

Ryoga's face deepened into a frown and he turned away from Kasumi once more. "You just, you just don't understand," he said mournfully. "The Shi Shi Hokodan isn't just my most powerful attack. Sometimes I get so sad, or angry, or frustrated, and all I can think about is all that bad things that have happened to me over the years, and I can't stop myself. I just keep going around in a circle, getting more and more upset as I remember until I'm afraid that I might spiral into my depression, and never get out. But just when I reach that point, the Shi Shi Hokodan forms and lifts me up to nothingness."

Kasumi was quiet for a moment, thinking over what Ryoga had said, then she hesitantly said, "I don't think it lifts you up, but rather it pushes you down."

Ryoga turned to her with a questioning expression and Kasumi hastily continued, "I mean you say the Shi Shi Hokodan causes you to feel nothing right? Well I think that not feeling anything is worse than feeling bad." She reflected on the many times she had felt melancholy in her own life. "When you feel angry or depressed," she continued, "at least you are feeling something, and as long as you are feeling something, anything, that means you have the capacity to feel joy, happiness, love, and all the other wonderful emotions which make us human. But when you're empty, when you're numb, when you feel nothing at all, that means you can't feel either the bad or the good."

Kasumi realized that she had been carried away and was starting to ramble, which had caused Ryoga to silently face her, probably bored to tears. She lamely finished, "So that's why I think that feeling something is better than feeling nothing at all, because at least there is the chance you can feel good."

"You say that," Ryoga said with a sigh. "But it seems like I'm never allowed to feel happy. I look back on what I've done, what's happened to me … " He broke off, drifting into silence with his thoughts left unsaid, and folded his hands into his lap.

Kasumi scooted closer to Ryoga and placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "I think that maybe you should change the way you look at things." She said tenderly. "The past has already happened, and you can't really do anything to change it. So you should focus on the good things that have happened to you, not on the negative things. Maybe then you'll realize that good things have happened to you, and even better things are yet to come."

Kasumi thought back on the story Cologne had told them and how in some parts it closely mirrored Ryoga's own history and felt a shiver work its way down her spine. "Ryoga," she said, "I may not know how you truly feel, and I'll never know how you've felt in the past, but there have been times when I've been sad and alone too. When my mother died … well it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt before, or since."

She sighed and looked down at the grain in the wood making up the porch. "It still hurts. And for a while I would have given anything, done anything just to make the hurt go away. Even though she was gone, the sun still shone, the birds still sang, and the flowers still bloomed, and for a while I resented them for it. But then I realized, even though my mother was gone, I could still be happy, I could remember all the good times we had, and I could even eventually go out and make new happy memories. But if I had allowed my sadness to swallow me, if I had allowed the numbness to overwhelm me until I felt nothing anymore, I would never have been able to feel happiness again."

She looked up again and Ryoga and squeezed his shoulder supportively. "There are still times I feel very lonely, but I know that it's a small price to pay to be able to smile and laugh and live with everyone else."

Ryoga seemed tense and uncomfortable, and Kasumi realized that perhaps she had let slip too much personal information. Sadly she released him, and turned to pick up the tea tray before standing up. "I'm going to go put the tea set back in the kitchen, then come back out and fold the laundry."

Ryoga abruptly turned to her and said, "Wait!"

Kasumi paused and watched as Ryoga, his face open and earnest said, "I … that is, well ..." He seemed as if he wished to say something profound and important, but was unable to. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Ryoga's face darkened and became closed. "I'm sorry, it's nothing."

Kasumi heard the regret in his voice, and wasn't sure what he had been trying to say. In order to smooth over the awkward moment, Kasumi slipped back into the house without saying anything else to Ryoga. She deposited the tray next to the items which were still dirty from lunch, then returned to the porch to collect the basket she used to transport the laundry around in.

She glanced over at Ryoga, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts once again, his arms crossed and his general body language telling her that he wished to be left alone. Kasumi, remembering how she had uncharacteristically confided in him some of her pain, both understood the boy's need and was grateful for the excuse to bury the event in silence.

Kasumi retrieved the laundry basket and made her way to the lines of clothes floating in the breeze. With a practiced ease she removed the laundry from the line and folded it, placing it in the basket according to a rather complex formula she had devised which segregated the clothes based upon owner, the need to be starched and pressed, the size of the clothing, and how often it was used.

In a few minutes the lines were empty and Kasumi carried the basket of laundry back towards the house. As she approached the porch, Ryoga suddenly said, "You have a wonderful singing voice." He was staring straight at her, or he would have if his eyes weren't covered. He seemed much more relaxed than he had been a few minutes ago, and even had the ghost of a smile on his face.

Kasumi blushed. She had become very used to doing chores without an audience, and she had often sung to herself to help pass the time, so much that she now did it unconsciously. That she had done it while Ryoga had been present was somehow mortifying. Even though her father and Mr. Saotome had often been an audience for her impromptu concerts, with Ryoga it felt different somehow.

"Th-thank you," Kasumi stuttered out.

Ryoga's small smile fell slightly as he asked, "Kasumi, do you think it would be alright if I moved into the dojo?"

"I'm sure that would be alright, but why would you want to move out to the dojo? It's not as conveniently located as the guest room," Kasumi said, genuinely curious at Ryoga's abrupt request.

A sad smile returned to Ryoga's face as he replied, "Well, I've slept by myself for so long that it's kinda weird sharing the same room with two other guys. Especially with Mr. Saotome, he snores like a chainsaw." As quickly as it had come, the smile vanished. "Plus I feel like maybe I'm crowding them. I know I'm not the most cheerful person to be around, especially for these past few days."

"Oh Ryoga, that's not true at all," said Kasumi automatically, then she thought of how Ranma and his father had been waking up earlier than normal and going to bed later than usual. "But if you really want to, I'm sure that it would be fine," she said, "just let me bring the laundry in and we can move your futon out to the dojo."

"Alright," Ryoga said, turning to flash Kasumi with a smile.

She walked to the small laundry room where she separated the items which needed to be ironed from the ones which didn't. She left the former in the laundry room to be tended to at a later time and picked up the latter pile.

Kasumi then carried the small pile of clean clothes to the second floor, where she alleviated the omnipresent darkness in the hallway by opening various bedroom doors, allowing swaths of light to beat back the darkness, while she deposited the clothes in their owner's bedrooms.

While she was in her father's room, Kasumi paused for a moment in contemplation. If Ryoga was upset over having to share a room with Ranma, then he was probably upset over having to share clothes with his rival as well. So Kasumi removed a few sets of clothes her father no longer wore from his large dresser and with them in her arms, traveled back downstairs.

"Are you ready Ryoga?" she asked the boy when she emerged once more into the sunlight.

Ryoga turned his face toward her before climbing to his feet and replying, "Absolutely. Without you around, it's kind of boring out here."

Kasumi blushed slightly at the unintended compliment, then laughed lightly, happy that the uncomfortable atmosphere had been lifted. "I'm sorry to hear that. Boredom isn't usually something people around here complain about."

Ryoga responded to Kasumi's amused laugher with a small smile. "Yeah, well I'm not trying to complain or anything, it's just frustrating that I can't do the things I normally do. Like walk around, or train, or fish or anything like that. Instead I have to just sit still and try not to 'aggravate my condition.'"

Kasumi could easily sense Ryoga's despondence over being forced to take things easy and tried to sound comforting as she said, "Well the doctors said that with rest you'll be back to doing the things you love in only a week and a half."

"Yeah," Ryoga replied in a tone which failed to sound cheered up at all. He followed Kasumi unhesitatingly back into the house and up the stairs, needing only the most minimal of guidance from Kasumi. "The thing is," he said abruptly, "I'm not sure what exactly the things I like to do are."

"Oh?" Kasumi asked, pausing to open the door to the guest room.

"Well," Ryoga continued, following in after Kasumi. "It's just that most of the things I do, I started doing out of a need to survive, and now that I've been doing them for so long, I'm not sure if I do them because I want to, or because I have to."

Kasumi started to fold up Ryoga's futon as she replied, "Well I think that if you want to know what it is you think is fun, just imagine that you're all well, you can see, and you don't have any curses. If all that happened, what would you be doing?"

Kasumi looked up at Ryoga, and he seemed to almost say something, but bit it back and was silent instead. Eventually he said, "I'm not sure, I guess I'll have to think about it for a while."

Kasumi smiled as she stood up. "And there's nothing wrong with that. Now then, here's your futon," she said while gently placing it in his hands. "If you'll take that, I'll carry the blanket, and some of father's old clothes I picked out for you. Father has more clothes than Ranma, so you can wear more than one outfit that way."

Ryoga smiled wanly. "Thanks, I was kinda getting tired of having to sit around naked while waiting for these clothes to get clean."

Kasumi involuntarily imagined Ryoga nude for a moment and became quite flustered. She quickly picked up the remaining blanket and clothes and said, "Let's go, shall we?"

The two made their way to the dojo, Ryoga only needing a small amount of guidance along the way, mostly around the stairs. Kasumi opened the door to the dojo, bathing the inside with the bright clean light of the afternoon, and walked to a corner close to the door next to a set of low shelves holding equipment used by various martial arts styles. Ryoga followed her and when he heard her setting down the blanket she had been carrying, he put down the futon as well.

"There we are," Kasumi said as she placed the folded clothes she had been carrying on an unoccupied section of the shelf. She turned to Ryoga and found that he seemed lost in thought. But when Kasumi fell silent, he roused himself enough to say, "Thank you Kasumi. I think I'm already feeling more relaxed out here than in that small room." A shadow passed over his face for a second, then was gone as quickly as it had come. "But I'm feeling a bit tired now. Would it be alright if I rested here for a bit? I'd like to think about what Grandmother Cologne said some more."

"Oh my, of course Ryoga," Kasumi said, mentally berating herself for having monopolized Ryoga's time. "I needed to finish up a few chores before starting on dinner anyway. If you'll excuse me." She began to make her way to the door, but cast a final glance at Ryoga as she left. He hadn't moved an inch from the spot he had been standing in, and seemed once again lost in deep thought.

Kasumi quietly closed the door after her, hoping that whatever seemed to be bothering Ryoga would pass quickly. She returned to the laundry room where she made quick work of the remaining clothes, starching and ironing them so their wrinkles disappeared, then carefully hanging them up and transporting them to the bedrooms of their owners.

She then visited the kitchen again where she methodically washed the dishes she had placed near the sink earlier. She had just finished drying the last one when her father and Mr. Saotome returned and with very little preamble, began to play the shogi game they had started earlier that morning.

Hearing their entrance, Kasumi quickly made several onigiri and warmed up a small bottle of sake. She efficiently and artfully arranged the rice balls on a white porcelain plate and placed them on the tray she had used earlier for tea with Cologne, alongside the bottle of sake and two small cups.

She then took the tray into the now artificially lit living room where the two men were playing and without a word kneeled down next to their game, setting the tray next to herself. "Father," she said while placing the plate of onigiri next to Genma and the sake near her father, "I took the liberty of giving Ryoga a few of your old clothes to use since he doesn't have any of his own."

Soun didn't bother to look away from the game as he picked up the bottle of sake and used it to fill first the cup Kasumi had placed before Genma, then his own as he replied, "Not my good clothes I hope?"

Kasumi held the now empty tray against her chest as she stood up and replied, "No father, just some of your old workout clothes, the ones from the bottom of your dresser."

"Ah, that's fine then," Soun answered, his attention seemingly completely devoted to the tile which Genma had just set down.

Knowing that was all her father likely had to say on the matter, Kasumi returned to the kitchen and switched on the overhead light. She put away the tray she had been using, and set out a plate of assorted sweets Nabiki enjoyed snacking on when she returned home from school.

Kasumi then walked through the house, making a cursory inspection of the overall cleanliness of the rooms. She found that while it wasn't quite a sterile environment, it was acceptable, though she did do a bit of spot dusting on the molding above the doorways, a pesky area which seemed to collect dust at an alarming rate.

Thanks to Cologne's present, Kasumi didn't need to go out to purchase ingredients for dinner and it seemed that for the moment the daily chores were finished, so Kasumi was faced with a small amount of free time. So after depositing her dusting cloth in the laundry room, she retreated to her room where she fell upon the thick comforter covering her bed and began to read about the exploits of Cyrano de Bergerac from the page she had bookmarked the night before, shortly before she had gone to sleep.

The sunlight from her window cut a swath through her bed and illuminated the pages of her book to an almost incandescent glow. Kasumi enjoyed reading about France, Paris especially. There was something about the city which seemed to capture her imagination, causing her to read all she could about the wonderful city and the people who had called it home. She dreamed of one day walking down the Champs Elysees, of marveling at the Eiffel Tower, of touring the Louvre and experiencing the beauty and history of such a romantic culture.

However that afternoon, Kasumi wasn't able to completely lose herself in daydreaming. Instead she found herself remembering the strange face Ryoga had made shortly before she had left him, one filled with deep sadness tinged with anger. To know that Ryoga still felt so badly to such a degree caused a sympathetic swelling of sadness in Kasumi. She hoped that Ryoga would take Cologne's cautionary tale to heart and make the right decision about his view on life, as well as his use of the Shi Shi Hokodan.

Her attention was fully interrupted from her book a short time later by the arrival of Nabiki, heralded by her announcement of "I'm home!" ringing through the house. A little later, Ranma and Akane echoed Nabiki, although with a much less enthused tone.

Softly sighing at having to leave the comfort of her bed, Kasumi marked the page she had been on, one a depressingly short distance from the page she had marked last night. She set the book on the table next to her bed, then stood up, smoothing the wrinkles out of her clothes. She left her room to find the hallway bathed in artificial light, the soft sounds of a radio coming from Akane's closed door.

Kasumi walked downstairs and greeted Nabiki who was lying in front of the television, the plate of snacks Kasumi had set out earlier in front of her. "Hello Nabiki, I hope you had a pleasant day at school."

Nabiki waved in reply, using her other hand to turn the page in the manga she was reading, while listening to the white noise of some game show on television.

Kasumi continued on to the kitchen to find Ranma with the refrigerator open, a pitcher of juice in one hand, a glass in the other.

"Good afternoon Ranma," Kasumi said as Ranma finished filling his glass and set the pitcher back into the refrigerator. "I hope you had a nice day today."

Ranma rolled his eyes, but smiled and replied, "Just the same old stuff. You know, fighting, eating, and lots of sleep during class."

Kasumi returned his smile. "Well I'm sure that something exciting will happen soon," she said. "Oh, by the way, Ryoga thought that he would be more comfortable sleeping in another room, so he moved out to the dojo today."

An expression of guilty relief crossed Ranma's face and he replied, "Really? Well, guess I'll tell Akane next time I see her. I don't think that she wants anything to do with Ryoga for a while."

Kasumi's expression fell slightly at the mention of her sister's feelings toward Ryoga. "Actually, I've been meaning to have a talk with her, so I'll go tell her."

Ranma seemed to notice something about Kasumi, but whatever it was he kept it to himself. He quickly finished his drink and after setting the glass next to the sink, left the kitchen, probably to practice bending his body in directions bodies weren't supposed to be bent for his upcoming match.

Kasumi lingered in the kitchen after Ranma left, making sure everything was in its right place and generally stalling for time.

But she eventually screwed up her courage and made her way upstairs where the faint sounds of Akane's radio permeated the hallway. Kasumi softly knocked on Akane's door and was rewarded with Akane calling out, "Come in."

Kasumi opened the door to find her sister sitting at her desk, with a book open before her and several sheets of loose paper spread across both the desk and part of her bed. The small radio was next to the lamp Akane was using to illuminate her work.

"Hello Akane," Kasumi said "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Akane turned around in her chair to face Kasumi, a slight smile for the older sister she admired on her face. "No, just doing some homework before dinner."

Kasumi responded to Akane's smile with one of her own, and replied, "I was hoping to have a talk with you."

Akane's expression became questioning and she asked, "About what?"

"Well, " Kasumi said slightly nervous. "About Ryoga."

A shadow passed over Akane's face and she asked in a serious tone, "What about Ryoga?"

"I was thinking about how you two used to be the best of friends, and now how you seem to despise him so much. Don't you think perhaps it's time to forgive him?"

Akane's eyes became cold. "What do you mean? Don't you know what he did to me Kasumi?"

Kasumi clasped her hands together in front of her and looked away from Akane. "Well yes. I know that he lied to you, but he told you the truth in the end."

Akane gave out a short, harsh bark of laughter. "Lied to me? No, that jerk convinced me he was my friend, that he was different from all the other guys out there who just want to get in my pants. He crept in here and listened to my deepest, darkest secrets. Hell he even slept in my bed. Then he has the audacity to tell me this to my face, and say he's sorry? That's not good enough!"

Kasumi turned to look at Akane once more and found her on the edge of her seat, ready to jump up in a rage. Despite this frightful appearance, Kasumi knew that Ryoga wasn't the way Akane was describing him. And since he wasn't there to defend himself, she would have to.

"You're partially right, but you're also wrong," Kasumi said earnestly to Akane. "Ryoga did do some of those things, but not for the reasons you think. He was, no, he is your friend. He made a bad decision, but he didn't really intend to trick you so much. In fact the deception ate at him inside. He really did want to be your friend, either as Ryoga or Mr. P. He didn't befriend you for some perverted reason, or because he wanted to expose your faults. He just wanted a friend who would accept him in whatever form he was in."

Akane threw her hands into the air in exasperation. "What are you saying? Why are you taking his side instead of mine? Every time I think about how I let him into my bed … gah! Look at it from my point of view, just imagine that sicko in your bed Kasumi!"

For a moment Kasumi did, and she blushed lightly. For some reason she could see Ryoga resting under the covers to her bed. Not in a sexual way, but in a peaceful way. The lines of worry and anguish erased by sleep's gentle embrace, his eyelids dancing as he dreamed, and she would bet that he would be so very warm and huggable.

Kasumi quickly snapped out of her daydream and decided to try a different avenue of attack.

"But Akane, Ryoga knows that what he did was wrong, and he is deeply sorry for it. I'm not asking you to forget what happened, but maybe just try to talk to Ryoga, to see him without getting angry and yelling."

Akane screwed up her face in barely suppressed rage and loudly yelled out, "I don't care about how Ryoga feels! If I ever see that lying jerk's face again it'll be too soon. Now get out!"

Kasumi knew that Akane was too mad to be reasoned with any further, and decided that it would be best to let her cool down before trying to continue their discussion. She quietly left the room and closed the door which had remained open the entire time. Suddenly the radio music in Akane's room stopped and Kasumi heard something hard hit the wall with great force. She winced slightly, and then walked downstairs.

At the foot of the stairs she found Ryoga, frozen, one hand on the banister for support.

"Oh my, Ryoga don't tell me you heard that?" Kasumi asked concernedly.

"I was just getting a glass of water..." Ryoga said dully.

But Kasumi knew by the dampness flowing from under the cotton bandage covering his eyes that he had heard, at least the final part.

"Oh Ryoga," Kasumi said softly, gently reaching out to him.

However, when Ryoga felt Kasumi's hand on his arm, he abruptly brushed it away. "Don't!" he brusquely said. "Just, just leave me alone for a bit okay. I think, I think it would be better that way."

He abruptly turned away from Kasumi and stumbled down the hallway in the direction of the dojo. Kasumi sadly watched him leave, even after he had disappeared around a corner, she continued to stand there mournfully looking in the direction he had disappeared into.

Eventually though, duty called and Kasumi returned to the kitchen where she busied herself with taking out the bowls of ramen from the refrigerator and heating them up in preparation for dinner. She augmented the meal with a few simple side dishes, and soon announced the meal's readiness.

Dinner was an awkward and tense affair. Akane was still angry over her discussion with Kasumi, but it seemed as if she were beginning to suffer the guilt anyone who argues with Kasumi eventually is plagued by. She refused to meet Kasumi's disappointed gaze and went the entire meal without saying a single word to anyone. The rest of the family had heard Akane's outburst, and all tried their best not to rouse her ire by eating dinner as quietly as possible, so the quick meal passed glacially in an awkward silence.

After dinner, Kasumi bused the table while the rest of the family returned to their various pursuits. Akane immediately ran upstairs and sealed herself in her room by slamming her door after her. After the table was cleared, but before she began to clean the dishes, Kasumi made a small bowl of lukewarm ramen, just the right temperature to sip, and took it to the dojo for Ryoga.

She stood outside the door and respectfully knocked, surprised at the sound of sudden movement, followed by an equally sudden silence from within the dojo. She was about to knock again when Ryoga called out, "Come in."

Kasumi opened the door to find Ryoga sitting near the corner where his futon was still rolled up, with a sad and guilty expression on his face, slightly out of breath.

Kasumi closed the door behind her and entered further into the dojo, placing the covered bowl of ramen near Ryoga. "I brought you dinner," she said. "It's ramen, so be careful when you open it."

While she was talking, Kasumi noticed a thin layer of sweat on Ryoga's forehead and leaned forward to better examine his condition. "Oh my, do you have a fever?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, Kasumi leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Ryoga's in order to check his temperature.

A second or two passed and Kasumi came to the conclusion that Ryoga's temperature was normal. She leaned back and saw that he was now flushed as well for some reason in addition to the sweating, and he was still panting slightly. "Well you don't have a fever," she said, lapsing into thought about what might be wrong with him before coming to a sudden realization. "Oh Ryoga, you weren't exercising were you? You know the doctors said you needed rest."

Ryoga turned his head away in shame and replied, "I wasn't doing anything too strenuous, just a few sit ups and pushups and maybe some light weight lifting."

Kasumi tried to hide the worry in her voice. "But Ryoga ..."

Ryoga interrupted her by declaring, "I know what the doctors said, but after what Akane said … I just feel so angry and so useless."

Kasumi wanted to reach over and comfort the boy, but she felt as if she had already overstepped her bounds enough for the day.

"I'm sorry about what Akane said Ryoga," Kasumi said sadly. "But I'm sure she didn't mean it." Kasumi thought about it for a moment. "Well maybe she did mean it, right now at least, but I think that she'll forgive you eventually."

Ryoga just sighed deeply in reply.

Kasumi regarded the lost boy mournfully, but she knew by the way his body was slumped that he was too dejected to talk about Akane anymore. "Well, just don't overdo the exercising okay?" she compromised. "I want you to get better as soon as possible."

"Okay, okay, I promise not to overdo it," Ryoga said, managing to sound both depressed and abashed at the amount of concern in Kasumi's voice.

Kasumi sensed that Ryoga once more wanted solitude, so she stood up and walked back to the door. "I'll come back for the bowl in a little while," she said, pausing at the entrance.

Ryoga looked up in her direction and replied, "You don't have to. I'll take it back to the kitchen."

Kasumi, nonplussed by his confidence, asked, "Are you sure?" and received a curt nod from Ryoga in reply. "Well, then good night Ryoga." Kasumi left the dojo and returned to the kitchen where she finished cleaning the dishes left from dinner.

After the cleaning was finished, Kasumi spent a little bit of time in the living room, watching an eminently forgettable television program with Nabiki. She asked her father if he wished to bathe first, but he was once again engrossed in a game of strategy with Genma and he declined, so Kasumi was the first to relax in the warm waters of the furo that night.

When she had finished her restful soak, Kasumi dressed in her nightgown and once more attempted to follow the adventures of Monsieur Bergerac, this time with the aid of the lamp on the desk next to her bed rather than with the waning light of the darkening sun.

She was much more successful this time, conquering a few dozen pages before the familiar fatigue signaling her normal bed time overwhelmed her. She marked her page, then turned off her light and snuggled tighter into her comforter. As she drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were of Ryoga, hoping that he would get better soon, and that his outlook on life would improve as well.

The next morning Kasumi awoke at her usual time, about three minutes before her alarm clock was set to go off, and about an hour before anyone else in the house returned to consciousness.

She adjusted her alarm so it wouldn't ring, then got out of bed and removed her nightgown, placing it in the hamper near her door, and put on a simple and clean dress perfect for performing domestic chores.

She tiptoed down to the kitchen, not wishing to interrupt anyone else's sleep. She was only modestly surprised to find the bowl she had left with Ryoga sitting innocently in the drying rack next to the sink.

With a small smile on her face at Ryoga feeling well enough to clean his own dishes, Kasumi began to prepare breakfast. She began by first starting the rice cooker, then attending to the miso soup. She grilled a few fish, and set them out alongside slices of picked radish.

While she was waiting for the rice to cook, Kasumi went to the laundry room to begin sorting the dirty clothes the rest of the family had worn the day before.

She was astonished to find the washing machine running already. She opened it to find one of the outfits she had left for Ryoga, paused in the midst of a rinse cycle. She closed the lid contemplatively and let the machine return to its duties.

Slightly confused, Kasumi walked through the early morning muted shadows to the dojo. She knocked on the door, and after a second's hesitation, opened it, calling out "Ryo ..." cutting herself off when she noticed Ryoga was laying down in his futon, facing away from the door.

Kasumi began to close the door so as to not further disturb Ryoga's sleep, when suddenly, without rolling over, he called out, "Yes?"

Embarrassed, Kasumi softly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," Ryoga replied, turning to face her and sitting up slightly. "I just laid down a few minutes ago, so I was still awake when you came in."

"Oh my, you mean you've been up all night?" Kasumi asked in a concerned manner.

There was a hint of laughter in Ryoga's voice, but his smile reflected sadness as he replied, "Whether it's day or night doesn't seem to make much difference to me. Although I've found that it's a lot quieter around here at night."

"I noticed that you were washing your clothes," Kasumi said, hoping to steer the conversation into less potentially dangerous waters.

"I got kind of sweaty last night and I didn't want to seem like such a burden to you Kasumi," Ryoga replied.

"Oh, you'd never be a burden to me," said Kasumi. "But if you decide to keep doing your own laundry, be careful. I keep the bleach on the left side of the washer, and the detergent on the right."

"I will," Ryoga promised, a strange but real half smile on his face. "Goodnight Kasumi."

"Goodnight Ryoga," Kasumi replied before gently closing the door on the soft gloom of the dojo and the boy within.

The rest of the morning, and indeed the rest of the day passed rather normally. Akane, Ranma, and Nabiki ate breakfast with only a minor amount of tension which resulted in a few verbal jabs at one another, and then left for school. Genma and Soun shared breakfast with their children before they also left for work. Soon Kasumi was left alone in the house as usual.

She went about her usual midmorning routines, cleaning the mess left by breakfast, doing the laundry and hanging it out to dry, and cleaning the floors of the rooms downstairs.

She made lunch for Ryoga, but left it just inside the dojo door when she saw he was still asleep.

Kasumi's morning segued into her afternoon seamlessly. She finished the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, planned dinner, and traveled to the local grocer to buy the necessary ingredients.

The only time she managed to exchange a few short words with Ryoga was when she brought him his dinner, but the atmosphere surrounding the lost boy seemed filled with the desire to be left alone. So, slightly disappointed, Kasumi gave Ryoga the space he seemed to wish for.

Soon the Tendo household fell once more into routine, one similar to the one they had been living in for the past several months. With the exceptions that no one seemed willing to go anywhere near the dojo, and every morning Kasumi awoke to find the dishes she had left for Ryoga the previous day cleaned in the kitchen, and the washing machine busy washing a set of his clothes.

It seemed as if Ryoga had decided to cut himself off from everyone, even Kasumi.

After a few days of Ryoga's self imposed isolation, Kasumi decided that she had failed. When she had pushed and forced Ryoga to interact with others, she had only alienated the boy.

The thought that by trying to be helpful and friendly to Ryoga, had only caused him to retreat further from her, saddened Kasumi. As the days wore on she became listless and her chores were done mechanically and without the joie de vivre she usually exhibited.

After a few days Akane, perhaps feeling that Kasumi's change in mood was her fault, apologized fully and completely to Kasumi. But Kasumi accepted the apology with a heavy heart because Akane continued to refuse to see Ryoga in any but the worst possible light.

And so the first week passed, as too did the first part of the second. The only notable event other than Kasumi's deepening melancholy was that Ranma won his match in Martial Arts Contortionism. Not that anyone truly doubted that he would.

Four days before the day Ryoga would find out if he had recovered his sight or not, Kasumi woke up as she normally did and, with only the barest whisper of sound, made herself ready for the day ahead and traveled downstairs to the kitchen. However when she turned on the kitchen light to dispel the gray darkness of morning, she found Ryoga sitting at the kitchen table.

Hearing the light activate, Ryoga turned toward the doorway and smiled wanly at Kasumi who had stopped abruptly in surprise at the lost boy's presence. "Good morning," he calmly said.

"G-good morning," Kasumi replied automatically.

During the few times they had interacted over the week, when she had been bringing him his meals, Kasumi hadn't really been able to get a good look at Ryoga since he kept the dojo rather dark, and he was often lying in his futon when she came by.

Now that he was bathed in the incandescently produced light of the kitchen, Kasumi found that Ryoga appeared to be doing much better than he had been. He still hadn't fully recovered his lost weight, but his cheeks weren't as hollow as they had been, and he filled out his borrowed clothes much better. His skin was darker and more healthy looking, and it appeared as if some of the muscle mass he had lost in the hospital had returned, giving him a sinewy look.

Kasumi stepped fully into the kitchen, quickly overcoming her surprise at Ryoga's presence, as well as the small swell of happiness coming from the fact that he was looking so much healthier.

"You're up rather early Ryoga. Or should I say late?" she asked while making her way to the rice cooker to prepare it for the morning meal. "Would you like me to prepare you a quick snack before I start on breakfast?"

"No, I'm fine thank you," Ryoga replied politely.

Despite his denials though, within minutes he had placed before him a cup of warm tea as well as a small plate of the sugary snacks normally reserved for Nabiki's use.

"So any special reason you're up this early today?" Kasumi asked while she fluttered around the kitchen.

"Well I wanted to talk to Ranma before he left for school," Ryoga replied before picking up one of the snacks and popping it into his mouth.

Kasumi felt disappointed that Ryoga hadn't come to see her. Her momentary hope that she hadn't destroyed their relationship by pestering him began to ebb.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Ryoga continued, unaware of the fact that Kasumi's movements had changed from hopefully energetic to wistfully habitual. "And there's some things I'd like to … discuss with Ranma. Then maybe everything will be a little bit clearer."

Kasumi wasn't quite sure what Ryoga meant, but she hoped that his desire to confront Ranma was an indication that Ryoga was feeling better. Still, for some reason, it was a little painful that after a week in seclusion the first person Ryoga wanted to see was Ranma.

Not wanting to dwell on the negative thoughts plaguing her, Kasumi absorbed herself in cooking. Soon the morning sun rose high enough to begin banishing the shadows created by the kitchen's overhead light. Shortly thereafter the sounds of life returned to the Tendo home.

Akane woke up first. She thundered down the stairs and with a brief, "Good morning," which caused Ryoga to stiffen with apprehension, she bypassed the kitchen and left the house through the front door her morning jog.

Soon afterwards the sound of intense combat came from the backyard. Ryoga, still looking nervous from the near meeting with Akane, perked up at the sound. He stood up and tossed a small smile in Kasumi's direction. "Sounds like Ranma finally woke up," He said.

Ryoga of course missed Kasumi's somewhat pained expression as he carefully navigated his way out of the kitchen, going slowly to avoid any obstacles which might spring into his path.

Kasumi watched him leave, ready to leap to his aid if he needed help, but he had managed to memorize the layout of the house well enough that her guidance didn't seem to be necessary any longer.

Trying to push her disappointment out of her mind, Kasumi began to plate breakfast and transport it to the table.

As she was carrying the food out, Soun came downstairs, casually greeting his daughter before going outside long enough to collect the day's paper. By the time he returned to the breakfast table, Kasumi had already finished setting out everyone's place.

Soun sat at his customary position at the head of the table and opened his paper, scanning the articles while Kasumi poured his tea. A few moments later Genma appeared and sat next to his friend, helping himself to the food already laid out before him.

"Oh, did you and Ranma finish your sparing early this morning?" Kasumi asked Genma while filling his cup.

Genma paused in his conquest of the breakfast table long enough to glance up at Kasumi. "Yes, that Hibiki kid showed up and wanted to talk to Ranma about something private for a few minutes. I, being the kind and generous father I am, allowed Ranma to shirk today's practice," he said while somehow continuing to chew.

Kasumi didn't feel that it was her place to comment upon Genma's rapidly blacking eye, or the awkward angle he was holding his head at. Instead she said, "Oh, well I'll just go and tell them that breakfast is ready then."

She sat down the pot of tea she had been holding and quickly left the room. The backyard she found to be empty, so Kasumi tried the dojo next.

The door was open, allowing the early morning light to cascade in.

"I don't know." Kasumi heard Ranma saying as she approached.

"What don't you know? Whether you're scared of being by beaten by someone stronger than you, or by losing to a guy who's blind?" Ryoga taunted.

"It's not like that," Ranma said placatingly as Kasumi paused at the open doorway, hesitant to interrupt the conversation between the two boys since Ryoga had been so recalcitrant and withdrawn the past week.

Ranma cut his eyes in Kasumi's direction and acknowledged her presence with a small nod, but continued to talk to Ryoga. "It's just that I don't think you should be fighting anyone, especially me, while you're still injured."

Ryoga sneered, his arms folded across his chest in irritation. "Ha, I'm perfectly healthy. You're just looking for a reason not to fight me."

Ranma rolled his eyes at Ryoga's stubbornness. "Ryoga, in a few days when you get your sight back I'll be willing to beat the stuffing out of you whenever you want. But right now I think that you should probably just take it easy."

"Take it easy, take it easy. That's all I've been hearing lately. I'm sick of it! I'm not some sick weakling who's going to fall over and die from breaking a sweat!" Ryoga shouted irately.

Ranma held up his hands in a calming gesture, one lost on Ryoga. "Listen man, I know where you're coming from. Remember that thing with the weakness moxibustion? It pissed me off how you treated me like I was some sort of wimpy girl unable to defend myself, but looking back, I realize you were just trying to be a true martial artist, one who is honorable and who doesn't pick on those weaker than them. Well now, it's kinda like the roles are reversed. Right now I'm trying to be a real martial artist and not take advantage of your weakness."

"Are you calling me weak?" Ryoga asked incredulously, his arms dropping to his sides. "Don't you dare call me weak!" Ryoga suddenly lashed out with his left fist.

He was fast, possibly even faster than he had been before he had lost his sight. Nonetheless Ranma was still much faster. He turned his body slightly to avoid the punch, then leaned backward just far enough that they right handed uppercut Ryoga launched failed to find any contact.

Kasumi was shocked, not only by the speed and voracity of the unprovoked attacks, but by the wrathful expression on Ryoga's face as he spun his body to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick which Ranma nimbly jumped over, somersaulting in the air to land softly a few meters away. In contrast to Ryoga, Ranma's face was a mask of calm detachment.

Ryoga cocked his head at the sound of Ranma's landing and rushed toward the spot, blindly lashing out with a flurry of punches. Most of them were wild and erratic, but a few came close enough to Ranma where he had to begin to dodge. A few seconds later and Ranma either grew bored of simply dodging or he became unable to, and instead he blocked one of Ryoga's punches.

At the contact, Ryoga's face lit up, and he quickly reversed the trajectory of his hand to grab Ranma's arm which had blocked him.

In such extreme close quarters Ryoga had the upper hand despite his lack of sight. He began to rain down blows with his free hand on Ranma's chest. Hits which Ranma had to block rather than dodge thanks to Ryoga's vice like grip. Ranma blocked most of the punches, but a few made it past his defenses and slammed into his chest with dull meaty thuds, promising spectacular bruises which would likely linger for weeks to come.

The exchange lasted only a second or two at most, but Ranma decided that it had gone on for long enough. He twisted his arm, changing the grip Ryoga had on him and ducked under the lost boy's arm, reappearing behind him and forcing his arm into a sharp and painful angle, causing his hand to release its grip on Ranma automatically.

Ryoga was off balance and Ranma gave him a shove, sending Ryoga stumbling forward to land on his hands and knees. Meanwhile, using the distraction of Ryoga's fall to mask his movements, Ranma quickly bounded to another spot and stayed very still.

Ryoga quickly climbed to his feet and blindly swung with his fists, but met nothing. He suddenly lunged toward the spot where he had last heard Ranma and struck out, finding nothing but air.

"Come out you coward," Ryoga seethed through his clenched teeth, but Ranma stayed perfectly still and even appeared to stop breathing.

Ryoga thrashed around blindly for a few seconds more, but without encountering Ranma, he quickly grew tired of wasting his energy.

He growled deep in his throat and suddenly faint tendrils of purplish energy began to vaguely swirl around him. "If you don't want come and fight like a man, I'll just use an attack which you can't hide from!"

The fight had been so brief yet intense that it had left Kasumi breathless and paralyzed where she stood. But when she saw Ryoga readying a Shi Shi Hokodan she cried out, "Stop!"

She raced into the dojo and embraced a surprised Ryoga tightly from behind. "Please, please stop it Ryoga," she cried into his broad back. "Please don't do this to yourself!"

"Kasumi," Ryoga asked incredulously as the sickly purple aura around him faded away. And he tensed up, trying not to move at all least he should hurt her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you for breakfast, but then I saw you attack Ranma … why?" Kasumi asked, refusing to lessen her grip.

"You saw that?" Ryoga asked. Suddenly the tension which Kasumi had felt underneath his skin seemed to evaporate and he tumbled to his knees. Kasumi followed him down still holding him tightly lest he should lose himself again and create another Shi Shi Hokodan.

"I was just … just so angry for some reason," Ryoga said mournfully in a weak voice. "All week I was angry. Upset that I couldn't do anything, that I wasn't good enough to be useful. So I did what I usually do, train myself. But it didn't seem to help, every time I did a sit up or a push up, I got a little angrier at myself and how weak I was. Until I just had to fight someone, to let out all this anger I had built up."

Ranma, sensing that the fight was over, cautiously approached the huddled Kasumi and Ryoga. Hearing him approach, Ryoga shifted to better face the bother boy and Kasumi loosened her embrace, feeling that the threat of another Shi Shi Hokodan had faded away.

"I think I owe you an apology Ranma," Ryoga said. "I'm sorry; I kind of blew up on you for no real reason." He attempted a lighthearted chuckle, but it quickly died a merciful death since his heart wasn't in it.

Ranma shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Don't sweat it man. If I had to sit still for two whole weeks, I'd probably go a little crazy too. Listen, when you get your sight back, we'll have a real match, a friendly one. No chi techniques, no special moves, just us beating the crap out of each other."

Ryoga smiled. "Sounds good to me. Just don't run away to China this time." Both boys laughed a little at the poor joke, then Ryoga's head slumped down. "I'm so tired for some reason," he said in a voice drained of all vitality.

"Well then, let's get you to bed," Kasumi said, shifting around until one of Ryoga's heavy arms was stretched across her shoulders. She could tell that he was reluctant to put any of the weight of his large frame on her. Thankfully Ranma leaned down and supported Ryoga's other side and the three of them moved across the dojo to the corner where Ryoga's futon lay.

Kasumi and Ranma laid Ryoga down in the futon and Kasumi gently placed the blanket over him. As she was doing so, Ryoga sleepily asked, "Kasumi, do you think maybe I can help you around the house later? I've missed talking to you."

Kasumi smiled down at him and replied, "of course Ryoga. I'd love to spend time with you."

Ryoga smiled and a few seconds later he was sound asleep. Ranma and Kasumi quietly made their way to the door and Kasumi closed it behind them.

"I guess he wasn't kidding about being tired," Ranma commented as they began to walk back to the house.

"He's probably been up all night exercising more than he should have been," Kasumi agreed.

Ranma casually looked away from Kasumi. "So uh, why are you crying Kasumi?"

Kasumi reached up and felt her face, indeed the tracts of her tears ran down her face. She quickly wiped them away and said, "I must have gotten something in my eyes."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed with a little laugh.

But then he suddenly sighed and put his hands behind his head. "You know, when he told me he wanted to talk to me, I was kinda glad, 'cause I've been thinking about Ryoga lately, and maybe I ought to apologize to him."

Kasumi glanced over at Ranma with a questioning look full of surprise. "For what?" she asked.

"Well I've been thinking, Ryoga's not like most of the other guys I fight. I mean, they're all full of themselves and think that they're the best fighter of whatever school they belong to. So when I fight them, I throw insults at 'em, trying to trip 'em up, to throw their game off. But Ryoga's different. He doesn't really think he is the greatest you know, and when I insult him, I think maybe he believes the things I say."

Ranma rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I mean it's kinda hard to feel sorry for a guy who can use a tree as a baseball bat, but I think Ryoga's not as tough a guy emotionally as he is physically. Maybe all those times I insulted him, I hurt him a lot more than I thought."

Kasumi looked down at the ground in contemplation, then said, "I think you should probably be having this conversation with Ryoga and not me."

Ranma gave out a little sigh but Kasumi continued, "But, I think you're right. Ryoga didn't get to have a normal childhood and maybe that's part of the reason why he has such low self esteem. I think that maybe Ryoga's been focused on you for so long that he's lost sight of who he is. He doesn't see himself as Ryoga anymore, but rather as someone who, as hard as he tries, can never be as good as Ranma. And every time you insulted him, you reminded him he had never been, and likely never will be as good as you."

"Huh," Ranma replied. "So how do we get him to toughen up emotionally?"

Kasumi smiled at Ranma, pleased that he was being so considerate of his friend. "By reminding him that Ryoga Hibiki might not be Ranma Saotome, but that Ryoga Hibiki is a great person."

"Huh," Ranma said as they walked into the breakfast room to join the rest of their family.

* * *

A gigantic thank you goes to Red Dragonfly for beta reading this chapter and changing it from good to (good)^n. Where n is the number of errors that were found. So it's approaching infinity.

Sorry this took so long to get out, but I've been studying for A+ certification in order to increase my marketability as a job applicant. Hopefully now that I have my certification I'll have more time to devote to writing rather than learning IRQ addresses.


	7. The New Chapter

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

Ryoga awoke and automatically opened his eyes. He quickly found that they were still tightly sealed by the cotton pads held in place by his bandages. The memories he had mercifully forgotten in his sleep-addled state suddenly returned to him and he sighed deeply while sitting up in his futon. He pushed away the heavy blanket which had been covering him and wearily rested his head in his hands.

He was so tired. His exhaustion had only been dulled by the slumber he had just woken from. For the past week he had felt driven to train, to regain his lost strength. Perhaps driven was too mild a term for what he had felt. It had seemed like some sort of physical imperative that he push himself past his limits, to exorcise, to fight himself, until he had discovered his limits, and gone well beyond them.

He had trained for hours on end, lifting weights, running laps, doing sit-ups, pushups, and even creating a few new katas which were more involved and more complex than the ones he had developed years ago. In short, he had trained as hard as he possibly could have without the luxury of having multi-ton boulders as training aids. He had paused only long enough to pretend he was asleep whenever Kasumi had come to check on him.

Kasumi… Ryoga sighed and fully left the futon. He stood up and straightened the blanket as best as he was able to. Then he walked toward the door of the dojo. But instead of opening it, he leaned against the wall next to it.

While he had been training, he had been working so hard that all nearly all though had been driven from his mind. However, during the times he had collapsed from exhaustion, as he was drifting into a brief bout of unconsciousness, his thoughts, more often than not, revolved around Kasumi.

Ryoga ruminated on how his friendship with Kasumi was different from any friendship he had enjoyed before. Of course he hadn't really had any real friends until he had tracked Ranma to Nerima, and the ones he had made in the neighborhood seemed somewhat superficial. Well all of them except for Akane. She had been the closest thing he had to a friend, and their relationship had been flawed by a monumental lie.

But he had been unwilling for so long to own up to the lie, precisely because Akane was so important to him. The friendship he now had with Kasumi was even deeper than the one he had with Akane, and Ryoga feared that he somehow would screw it up and become even more hurt than when Akane had rejected him.

Ryoga felt incredibly guilty for taking advantage of Kasumi's nature, as he had taken advantage of Akane's trust. Where he had betrayed Akane by lying to her, he was betraying Kasumi by being so dependent upon her. He felt slightly sick at the thought, but he knew that there was no one else who would help him in his present circumstances.

Ryoga pushed off from the wall and stepped through the dojo's door. He felt the warm sun and cool air, identical to the afternoon he had pleasantly spent with Kasumi so long ago. Judging by the air, it was likely around noon.

He traveled the short distance from the dojo to the main house, led by his slight hunger. Silently he slipped into the kitchen. However when he entered, he found it already occupied by Kasumi.

Even before she spoke, he knew she was there. She had an aura about her; a subtle sense of calm and peace which Ryoga had come to notice surrounded her at all times.

"Oh, hello Ryoga," Kasumi quietly said.

Her dulcet tones washed over him, and Ryoga felt ashamed for being so dependent upon a person who was so selfless.

"Hello Kasumi," he lamely replied.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked. A chair slightly squeaked as she shifted her weight, betraying her position at the kitchen table.

Ryoga hesitantly walked further into the room. He wanted to tell her that while he had slept, he had awoken almost as weary as when he had gone to sleep. He wanted to tell her how true rest eluded him, how his mind was too full of guilt and anger to let him truly sleep.

But he was aware that while Kasumi was the nicest person he knew, she had asked the question out of mere politeness rather than any true wish to know.

So with equal politeness he replied, "Yes, thank you. I feel much better now than I did this morning. My head is a lot clearer."

While the first part of the statement had been a lie, the rest had been true. He was feeling much more clear-headed than he had before and was ashamed of how he had acted with Ranma.

"That's good. Personally I find that I have a better outlook on things after a good night's sleep."

Ryoga noticed that there was something amiss. Kasumi's normal aura of kindness was incomplete. Her mere presence still radiated the warmth and tenderness that uniquely identified her, but her voice was different. Ryoga became keenly aware that the melodic joy which bubbled through Kasumi's speech was absent. In its place was a tone Ryoga had never heard from Kasumi before. It left her words flat and stifled, where usually they were radiantly harmonious and seemed on the verge of transcending into song.

In a flash of insight Ryoga recognized his familiar foe. For one reason or another, Kasumi was upset over something, and on the slope which stretched from sadness to the abyss of depression.

With uncertain hands, Ryoga felt for a chair, and upon locating one, slid into the seat, facing Kasumi's direction across the kitchen table.

"Kasumi, what's wrong?" he asked with an intense sincerity.

She paused for too long before replying, "Wrong? Why there's nothing wrong Ryoga. Whatever gave you that idea?" She tried to laugh lightheartedly, but it came out flat and quickly faded into silence.

Ryoga leaned forward and placed his arms on the table top. "It's just that you sound upset about something," he said. "I don't want to pry, but if anything is bothering you and you want to talk about it, I'd be more than happy to listen. After all, you've listened to my troubles more often than I can count. It's the least I can do to repay the favor."

"Oh Ryoga," Kasumi said. Her chair creaked quietly as she shifted her weight. "It's nothing really. Well, mostly nothing." She paused for a few moments before hurriedly saying, "It's just the fight you had with Ranma earlier. You were so full of rage and hatred… You seemed like a completely different person from the Ryoga I know. You were so angry that you tried to perform the Shi Shi Hokodan even after hearing what Grandmother Cologne said…"

Kasumi trailed off and sighed softly. "But even before that," Kasumi continued. "For the past few days you've become so withdrawn. You've locked yourself away in that dojo, away from everyone."

Abruptly Ryoga's loutish hand was filled with Kasumi's warm and fragile one. His initial response was to retreat from the sudden contact, but considering the circumstances, he clasped her long delicate fingers in his own thick and stubby ones.

"When you shut yourself away, it was like I had lost my best friend. For the first time in a very long time, I felt truly alone. I missed my friend Ryoga." Kasumi squeezed his hand to emphasis her point and Ryoga felt like the lowest, most disgusting creature alive.

His guilt was incredibly oppressive. Through his own selfish actions, he had hurt someone else. Not just anyone, but the person he had come to respect and care for the most.

"I'm sorry," Ryoga said mournfully. "I didn't mean to abandon you. It's just, I' guess that I'm not used to being around other people. When I get upset, I feel like I need to be alone, so I can figure things out by myself. But this time, it just led me to being even more depressed, which I made me want to be by myself even more."

He sighed frustratedly and ran his unoccupied hand through his hair. "I wanted to be able to figure out what I was feeling, and what I should do about my emotions, but instead of dealing with them, I let them overcome and consume me. I didn't think about what that would do to anyone else, I'm sorry Kasumi. "

Ryoga dejectedly bowed his head and tried to extract his hand from Kasumi's. But Kasumi refused to relinquish her contact with Ryoga.

"It's alright Ryoga," she sadly said. "I just wish you trusted me more."

Ryoga's head snapped up. "But I do trust you Kasumi," he said emphatically. "I mean, who else has been there for me? You've done so much, more than I can ever repay you for."

"Then next time you feel sad or confused, come talk to me," she almost pleaded. "I'm your friend and when my friends are in trouble or in pain, I feel hurt too. Especially if they won't let me help them."

"Alright then," Ryoga said with a very slight smile. "Next time I'm depressed or angry, I'll come and share it with you. That way we can be depressed and angry together."

Although realistically Ryoga couldn't imagine Kasumi ever being truly upset. Despite what she had said earlier, and even in her current state, Ryoga could not picture Kasumi as anything other than seemingly unceasingly joyous. Of course she was human, and thus bound to have off days such as that morning, when she was slightly melancholic. But Ryoga knew that soon she would return to her normal jubilant self.

Kasumi laughed lightly at Ryoga's attempt at humor and he noticed that the joie de vivre had somewhat returned to her voice. Kasumi had returned to being Kasumi, and Ryoga hoped that he would never be the cause of her pain again. Her laughter and happily lilting voice were too beautiful to be denied to the world.

"Well, they do say that misery loves company," Kasumi observed.

"I guess you'd better get used to me being around a lot then. I'll have you know that I'm an expert at being miserable," Ryoga jested.

Kasumi's tone of voice was slightly sobered as she replied, "I hope that maybe in the future, you'll have more things to be happy about."

Ryoga's own smile fell slightly. "Yeah, I hope so too Kasumi. I hope so too."

An awkward silence stretched out between the two. A silence hastily broken by Kasumi.

"Ryoga, I'm your friend right?"

"The best," Ryoga replied while smiling encouragingly

"Could you possibly promise me something?" she hesitantly asked.

"Anything."

"Could you, well, could you please stop using the Shi Shi Hokodan?" She paused for a moment before continuing hurriedly. "It's just that Grandmother Cologne told us that the technique was so dangerous, creating a cycle of self destruction. I was thinking that maybe if you stopped using it, you wouldn't fall into such deep depressions so often."

Ryoga absently noted the emotion in Kasumi's tone. In any other person he would have labeled it desperation. But the mere thought of Kasumi as desperate, especially for his sake, was abhorrent to Ryoga.

Tense silence followed Kasumi's plea, while Ryoga was lost in his own thoughts.

She was asking him to give up his most powerful attack. One of the few chi techniques which he knew. The move which had almost allowed him to vanquish Ranma. Even with it, he still struggled to fight Ranma as an equal. Without it, he would be a much weaker fighter and would likely not be able to defeat Ranma.

On the other hand, this was Kasumi asking him. The nicest, kindest, most gentle person he knew. In addition, she had become the greatest friend he had ever had, and to cause her even the most minute disappointment or discomfort pained him. Even if he somehow convinced himself to ignore who was asking him for this favor, there was the history of the Shi Shi Hokoden to consider. The path which Ryoga had been unknowingly following closely mirrored Huang's. What was the point of defeating Ranma if it disappointed Kasumi, and led only to his own destruction?

Ryoga sighed, then quietly announced, "I promise Kasumi. I promise to never use the Shi Shi Hokoden again." He smiled wanly. "I guess I'll just have to train even harder to beat Ran…"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by Kasumi who had stood up and come around the table to hug the lost boy with a cry of, "Oh Ryoga, thank you!"

Ryoga found himself in a warm, gentle, yet strangely secure embrace. He was surrounded by the vanilla fragrance which Kasumi used. Idly, Ryoga wondered if Kasumi's skin tasted as sweet as she smelled.

Almost immediately Ryoga banished the thought from his mind, and leapt out of Kasumi's arms, a bright red blush spreading across his face. The chair he had been sitting tipped over because of his sudden movement and crashed to the floor.

"It's nothing," Ryoga embarrassedly blurted out. He threw his hand behind his head and rubbed his neck nervously. "I mean, it's not nothing, since that was a great attack, but I'll come up with a better one, and I'll beat Ranma, I mean it's not like that was the only move I knew …"

His nervous rambling was interrupted by Kasumi stepping forward and putting a delicate hand on his cheek. Ryoga could feel the pure joy radiating from Kasumi who was uncomfortably close. But he quickly decided that it was a good kind of uncomfortable.

Slightly calmed down, Ryoga continued, "Well, I mean, you said that we were friends, and I don't want to hurt you. By hurting myself. If that makes sense." He awkwardly chuckled.

Kasumi laughed softly, sending vibrations through her hand and somehow into Ryoga's heart.

"It makes perfect sense," she said. "And again, thank you Ryoga. I know the decision wasn't easy, but I'm glad you made the right one." She moved away from him, and Ryoga dimly missed the warmth of her hand. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I feel much better than I did this morning. I feel like I can accomplish anything. So I'd better get back and do the chores I skipped earlier," she cheerily said.

Without thinking, Ryoga blurted out, "Can I come with you?"

"Of course. Although you might get a little bored," Kasumi confessed.

"I won't get bored," he promised. "But even if I did, I think that I would rather be bored with you, than be alone anymore."

Kasumi eagerly reclaimed possession of Ryoga's hand and serenely led him from the chilly kitchen into the bright warmth of the sunlight.

The rest of the day, and indeed the next few days, passed quickly for Ryoga. He spent countless hours in Kasumi's company, traveling between the sundrenched outdoors, the warm laundry room, and the welcoming kitchen. Folding clothes with her, carrying heavy loads for her, and sampling her impeccable culinary creations. The quickly passed time was spent in fond remembrances and innocent jokes, fostered by an air of gentle and loving friendship.

During the early morning and late afternoon, when Akane was home, Ryoga would usually retreat to the dojo. Although Ryoga spent a couple evenings whiling away the time with Ranma in the guest room.

Since there was no longer a true cause for the strife between the two, Ryoga had found that while Ranma still had the ability to annoy him, his animosity toward the younger Saotome was dwindling. They had even played a few games of shogi together, although the games had tried Ranma's patience, as well as Ryoga's memory.

Aside from Akane, the rest of the residents of the Tendo household treated Ryoga with a somewhat courteous apathy.

Genma was kind to Ryoga, as kind as Genma could be. He did not steal from him or try to trick Ryoga into any sort of scheme, although that might have been more from the fact that Ryoga had nothing of value as much as anything else.

Soun was much the same, although he occasionally went out of his way to help Ryoga navigate obstacles in the rooms he traveled through.

Nabiki at first had been cold and somewhat hostile toward Ryoga, pronouncing him as a freeloader rather than a guest. But after Ryoga had agreed to pay rent, she had warmed up to him drastically. Even though the final agreed upon amount was vastly less than the initial amount she had demanded. It had been necessary to include Kasumi in the negotiation process since she not only had possession of Ryoga's checkbook, but Ryoga would only agree to sign a document put in front of him by the eldest Tendo sister.

Kasumi had repeatedly stated that it was wrong to demand money from Ryoga, but she was eventually mollified by Ryoga informing her that he would feel better if he contributed toward covering the expenses of the household he was staying in, and that it was really not an imposition upon him since he was actually very well off financially.

His father was one of the most successful door-to-door insurance salesmen in Japan, and had singlehandedly catapulted one of the major insurance companies to the position it occupied. So with an obvious reluctance, Kasumi had not only agreed to the financial transaction, but had filled out the check for Ryoga, and had shown him where to sign his name.

So the three days quickly passed for Ryoga, with only the trouble with Akane shadowing perhaps the longest uninterrupted time of happiness he had known in years.

The eve of the unmasking was a sleepless one for Ryoga. He had tried several times to delve into a meditative state, but had been too nervous to actually clear his mind. Instead, he had spent the numberless hours alternating between day-dreaming how his life would be once he regained his sight, and fearing what it would be like if he were trapped in eternal darkness.

To help pass the time he did a few katas he had invented, as well as a few light exercises, but they too failed to quell his anxious mind.

In the end he knelt in the middle of the dojo, his legs painfully tucked underneath him until they had fallen asleep, while he concentrated on breathing. First the calm, deep, almost silent inhale, then the long drawn out exhale which completely emptied his lungs.

Outside, the crisp and frigid night finally transformed into the damp, cool dawn.

The door to the dojo opened, and the soft tread of Kasumi quickly approached Ryoga's position.

"Good morning Ryoga," Kasumi calmly said. Only the slightest twinge of apprehension invaded the edge of her voice.

"Good morning," he whispered in reply.

He heard her steps softly stop close to him, then the slight rustle of clothes as she kneeled down.

There was a moment's pregnant pause before she asked, "Are you ready?" She sounded both excited and timid.

Yes, no, maybe. Ryoga desperately wanted to see again, but as long as the bandage was still on, he could hope that he would be able to regain his sight. Once the cloth was removed however, that hope would be gone. One way or the other the matter would be beyond hope.

Ryoga bit his lip and nodded hesitantly. He was enveloped by Kasumi's gentle and loving aura as she reached around him and began to unfasten, then unwind the bandage from around his head.

Ryoga felt her confident fingers brush his ears, ghost across his temples, and perhaps even pause for a moment in his thick hair, as the bandage was unwound. In a few agonizingly short moments, the gauze had been fully removed, and the cotton pads covering his eyes were deftly plucked away as well. The only things left protecting Ryoga's eyes from the rest of the world were his tightly clamped eyelids.

This was it; the moment he had been living for, for what seemed an eternity. Now was the moment he would either return to a semblance of a normal life, or truly start a new life, forever trapped in unending darkness.

He exhaled, and Ryoga resolutely wrenched his eyes open.

The soft, early rays of dawn slammed into the dojo through the open doorway and the many windows. In reality the light was weak and dim, but for Ryoga's dilated pupils, it had the intensity of the midday sun.

He had his sight back. He had his sight back!

And what a beautiful sight it was. The sun cast long and dark shadows in the corners hidden away behind the walls and ceiling, creating pools of brilliance between dim islands.

The harsh rays became soft as they traveled, especially when they perfectly lit upon Kasumi, illuminating her with a glowing halo.

Tears came to Ryoga's eyes as they drank in the figure before him and burned her into his brain. Her dark auburn hair, tamed by a large white ribbon, cascaded like a waterfall down her neck and behind her back. A few short, unruly strands had broken away from their brethren and curled away slightly, suggestively framing her face. They would have been invisible save for the glow of the early morning sun falling directly upon her.

Her bangs hung low over her forehead, parted slightly above her left eye, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of a perfectly arched eyebrow, which segued to the longest and thickest eyelashes Ryoga had ever seen. They framed a pair of large, bottomlessly brown eyes, which in the morning light seamlessly mingled with her inky pupils, reflecting dark shadows. Their depths seemed to threaten to swallow Ryoga entirely.

Her skin was pale and smooth, causing her eyes to stand out that much more. Her unpainted, yet natively rosy lips were folded into a small frown of concern. Her neck was long and slender, delicately disappearing into the yellow blouse she wore, which was obscured by the ruffled white apron she also sported.

Ryoga's stunned reverie was broken when those perfect lips moved and Kasumi asked, "Ryoga, are you alright? You're crying."

"I can see," he breathed. "I can see!" Ryoga leaned forward and exuberantly wrapped Kasumi in a tight embrace. "I can see, Kasumi, I can see."

"That's wonderful Ryoga," Kasumi murmured. She reached up to gently pat his back and comfort him.

Ryoga was almost lost enough in his ecstasy to miss the soft embrace Kasumi gave him. Almost.

Abruptly he realized where he was, and in what kind of position he was in. In a flash he had leapt from Kasumi and stood a few meters away, cheeks red from embarrassment.

"Sorry, sorry Kasumi."

"Sorry for what?" Kasumi sweetly and cluelessly asked.

"About grabbing you," Ryoga said nervously, his face obviously betraying his anxiety.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Kasumi demurely waved away his concern. She gracefully stood up, and weightlessly walked toward Ryoga.

As she approached, Ryoga silently asked himself, why did she have to be so beautiful?

Guilt painfully shot through him. Guilt over how he had selfishly used Kasumi's kindness and had unfairly monopolized her attention.

In almost physical pain, Ryoga tore his eyes away from Kasumi, hurriedly glancing around the rest of the dojo. Anywhere but her.

The shadows had retreated slightly with the advance of the sun. The mats on the floor glowed softly white, their surface uninterrupted by any clutter, save for the few meager signs of his habitation in a distant corner.

While he was finally to see after months of darkness, Ryoga found that there was nothing of real interest to look at, to divert his attention from Kasumi.

So, semi-reluctantly, Ryoga turned back to find Kasumi standing quite close to him.

"Are you sure that you are alright?" she kindly inquired. "You're acting like there's something wrong." Ryoga noticed that concern had invaded her eyes.

Ryoga sadly gave a wan smile as he replied, "No, I'm fine. I just forgot how intense sight could be."

Kasumi smiled radiantly. "I'm so glad that you're healed Ryoga. Although the doctor mentioned that there was a chance that your eyesight might not be as good as it was before. Do you notice any difference?"

Ryoga frowned in consideration, everything looked normal to him, just as he remembered it from the many times he had visited the Tendo dojo. Although he did notice that he was seeing things with a bit more detail than he usually did. But he put that down to just having regained his sight, so it was still sensitive from disuse.

"No," he said hesitantly. "I don't think there is any problem."

"Well, let's go outside where there's a bit more light, just to be sure," Kasumi said, while gently placing a hand on his arm.

She led him over to the still opened door which seemed to Ryoga to be a solid rectangle of white light. She stopped inside the framing light, causing her to appear angelic to Ryoga. Cautiously he stepped up beside her and looked out over the backyard.

He was stunned by what he saw.

The world had been transformed. The rising sun gave off such a brilliant glow that Ryoga marveled that everything wasn't simply washed away in its intense light. But somehow it was quite the opposite in fact. The well manicured lawn was a brilliant, sharp green, interrupted by the dark bodies of a few tiny birds which hopped through the still dewy grass in search of breakfast.

The trees in the distance, created long slanted columns of dark shadow, but their tops seemed to be on the verge of bursting into emerald fire.

The sky was enormous and contained every single color imaginable, all at the same time. From the darkest of violets, to the cheeriest of reds, to the palest of blues. It seemed almost as if the sky was a giant curtain being pulled up on a play of which the main actor was the sun.

Such an overwhelming sight caused Ryoga to stumble slightly, but what caused him to desperately grasp the doorframe for support was the fact that every living thing he could see was surrounded by a cloud of light. An aura which did nothing to obscure, but seemed rather to better illuminate the details of everything.

Ryoga could single out each and every single blade of grass. They all pulsed with a light green aura, yet at the same time, Ryoga could somehow differentiate each one from the next. In the distance Ryoga could clearly see a few sluggish insects making their way through the grass, their bodies illuminated by a dim, greyish inner light.

They seemed unconcerned by the nearby presence of the small birds which were stalking them. Despite the fact that the bird's presence was being given away by a bright reddish orange color which seeped through and illuminated each feather distinctly.

Even the trees far in the distance pulsed with a green aura slightly darker than the grass'. Every vein in every leaf was clearly visible to Ryoga, as if they were pieces of stained glass being held up to some intense light.

Kasumi had turned her attention to Ryoga when he had stumbled against the doorframe and she asked concernedly, "Ryoga are you alright?" She stared at him strangely for a moment before she continued, "Oh my, your eyes …"

Ryoga easily saw her concerned look. He captured it with an intensity that if he ever learned to paint, he would be able to flawlessly recreate the image no matter how many years in the future it was.

She was still illuminated by the soft white halo which he had seen around her earlier. But what he had attributed to the early morning sunlight playing about her, was in reality streaming out from within her.

Ryoga shut his eyes tightly for a few seconds, then desperately opened them again. He found that nothing had changed. Once more he clamped them shut, willing the strange sights to go away and when he opened them again, everything had returned to normal. The grass was simply grass, the birds simply birds, and Kasumi was no longer an angel, just her normal ordinary beautiful self.

"Are you sure you're alright Ryoga? For a moment I thought that your eyes had turned gold. And you look as if you've seen a ghost," Kasumi said. She was still quite obviously concerned with Ryoga's strange behavior.

"Maybe I did," Ryoga muttered. He steadied his head with one of his hands.

"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm not sure. For a second there, I saw some sort of glow covering everything. But it's gone now."

"Maybe it was some sort of minor side effect from suddenly getting your eyesight back again after so long," Kasumi said hopefully.

"Maybe," Ryoga reluctantly agreed.

"But you can see normally?" Kasumi earnestly asked. "There aren't any changes?"

Ryoga looked out over the lawn once more before replying, "No, I can see as well as I ever could. If not better."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Kasumi declared in a very relieved tone. She paused for a second before saying, "If you'd like to join me, I was just about to finish preparing breakfast."

"Sure," Ryoga said absently. He was still somewhat dazed by the strange things he had seen.

Kasumi brightly smiled up at him and led the way out onto the walkway to the house. Ryoga followed her, still lost in thought.

Abruptly he realized that he was no longer behind Kasumi. In fact, he wasn't even between the dojo and the house any longer. Instead he was somehow standing in the Tendo's front yard, with no idea of how he had arrived there.

He stood still in confusion as he turned around queryingly, as if to ask the nearby plants if they had somehow played a trick on him. However, none of the flowers nearby seemed willing to provide him with an explanation. So Ryoga shrugged his shoulders at the mystery and stepped toward the front door of the Tendo home.

But his attention was caught by the bright bud of a nearby flower, and when he looked up again, for some reason he was standing next to the koi pond in the backyard.

Again he cast about in confusion. Then abruptly, the horrible truth dawned upon him. His curse was back.

While he had been able to navigate the house perfectly when he had been blind, now that he finally had his sight back, his curse had returned full force.

Ryoga had the urge to just sit down and cry. It wasn't fair; it just wasn't fair that every time something good happened in his life, it was tempered by something bad happening as well.

His urge to start feeling sorry for himself was momentarily put on hold when Ranma was launched from the Tendo house, quickly followed after by his father.

Ranma landed close to where Ryoga stood, managing to flip in midair so that he was prepared for the vicious attack which came from his father in the form of a flying knee. An attack which was transformed into a sidekick when it had been blocked by Ranma. Unfortunately for Genma, his second attack was blocked as effectively as his first, and Ranma used his father's momentum to throw an attack of his own which came in the form of a punch aimed for his father's solar plexus.

Genma somehow bent out of the way of the attack and leapt up to deliver a vicious kick to his son's head.

Ranma ducked under the older man's leg and Genma's over extended attack sailed past his son and his foot struck Ryoga squarely in the face.

The blow was more surprising than painful to Ryoga, and served as a great distraction from his self pity.

Ryoga's eyes flashed as he declared, "Alright. If you want to fight first thing in the morning, then let's fight!"

He followed his words with a herculean punch with his left hand which cleanly caught Genma in the chest. The older man, not prepared for the attack, flew backwards several meters and landed in a crouch on the grass, one hand clutching the area where Ryoga's hit had landed.

Ranma whistled in admiration. "Hey man, nice shot," he complimented.

However, Ryoga merely cut his eyes in Ranma's direction and lashed out at the other boy with a right hook.

"I meant you too Ranma," he snarled out as Ranma ducked under his swing.

"Whoa man, what did I do to you?" Ranma asked as he continued to duck and weave around a barrage of attacks Ryoga sent his way.

Ryoga abruptly stopped swinging and smiled. "Nothing. I'm just happy to see you."

Ranma stood staring at Ryoga in confusion for a moment before he broke into a huge grin and laughed. Soon Ryoga joined him, both releasing their happiness over the return of Ryoga's sight.

Their mirth was interrupted by Genma standing up fully and shouting out, "Pay attention to your enemies more carefully boy!"

The two boys shared a look with one another, and in almost unison they attacked the older man.

In a few moments, Genma was cowering under their combined assault. In near perfect unison, born from a knowledge of each other's fighting style, refined from long hours fighting one another, Ranma and Ryoga easily defeated Genma.

They knocked the heavy set man unconscious and unceremoniously left him lying on the short grass next to the koi pond.

Ryoga and Ranma took a moment to rest after the slightly more difficult than expected fight. Ranma casually stretching his arms over his head, shaking loose the last vestiges of sleep. Ryoga leaned over and rested his hands on his knees.

Even though he had been exercising, he had not been in an actual fight in some time, and there were muscles which seemed to only be worked out in a fight.

Nearly silently the door leading into the house opened and Kasumi stepped outside.

"Oh, here you are Ryoga," she said. There was a sense of relief in her voice. "I was worried when I turned around and you weren't there."

"I'm sorry Kasumi," Ryoga said while straightening up. "I was following you, but somehow I ended up here instead." He sighed deeply. "I think my bad sense of direction has come back," he finished mournfully.

"Oh my," Kasumi exclaimed. He raised one of her hands to her mouth. "I had almost forgotten about that. You were moving around the house so easily earlier."

Ranma looked over at Ryoga with compassion. "That sucks man," he stated sympathetically. "But hey, at least you can enjoy the scenery while you're lost now."

Ranma's attempts at verbal compassion were much less effective than his taunting abilities Ryoga noticed.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Ryoga shook his head at Ranma's insensitivity.

Kasumi broke the tense atmosphere by saying, "Well, let's go inside. It's almost breakfast time."

Ranma immediately perked up. He turned to Ryoga and said, "You heard her man, let's go. Everything is better after you've eaten something."

Ranma seemed to think that there was no possible way Ryoga could disagree and proceeded to drag the other boy inside the house.

Soon a very nervous Ryoga was sitting next to an oblivious Ranma at the breakfast table. Across from them was a surprisingly spry Genma, who had miraculously recovered from this earlier pummeling rather quickly when Kasumi mentioned breakfast. He had even managed to beat Ryoga and Ranma to the table.

Next to his old friend, at the head of the table, Soun was reading his customary paper while the sounds of Kasumi moving around in the kitchen filled the air.

Having become used to the everyday routines of the Tendo home, Ryoga knew that it was still several minutes too early for Nabiki to make her appearance, but Akane seemed to be running a bit late.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. On one hand, he knew that it was going to be an unpleasant morning when she arrived. But on the other, the longer he sat there and waited, the more time he had to think about the possibilities of her reaction, and the various scenarios which caused Ryoga's stomach to twist in knots.

At long last, Ryoga heard Akane's distinctive tread upon the stairs. She light heartedly bounded down them and into the dining room where she stopped abruptly. The beginnings of the smile on her face disappeared at the sight of Ryoga.

The lost boy expected her to fly into a rage and yell at him at the very least, but Akane's face transformed into a blank mask and remained expressionless.

Without a word, she took the seat next to Genma, opposite Ranma and Ryoga. She took a final look at Ryoga, then began to pretend that he wasn't there.

It was a far better reaction than Ryoga had feared, but worse than the one he had hoped for.

He nervously eyed her, but Akane seemed determined to ignore his presence. She gave curt replies to the few attempts Ranma made at conversation. Everyone lapsed into a pregnant silence while Kasumi cheerfully began to transport breakfast from the kitchen to the table.

Just as she was brining the last item, Nabiki gracefully stumbled down the stairs and quickly collapsed into her normal spot at the table. Blearily she stared at Ryoga for a few seconds before deciding to favor the highly caffeinated tea, which had just been placed in front of her by Kasumi, with her attention.

With an eagerness born from wanting to end the awkward tableau, Ryoga too began to eat breakfast. It had been prepared by Kasumi, so of course its taste transcended what he was used to preparing for himself.

Ryoga savored each bite, knowing that in the future, huddled over a cold fire, attempting to derive as much nutrition from a pine cone as possible, he would look back on meals like this with a fond remembrance.

In contrast, Ranma was attempting to absorb as many calories in as little a time as possible. Kasumi had just taken her first sample when Ranma interrupted her for a second helping.

Genma was only slightly slower than his son. He had to wait for his second serving while Kasumi tended to Ranma.

Soun and Akane methodically ate, one distracted by his newspaper, the other pretending to be absorbed in the meal. Both seemingly taking Kasumi's cooking for granted, since they had dined upon it for years.

Nabiki seemed lost in her teacup. She only sparingly picked at her plate, focusing on the items which were sweeter than the rest.

"Oh my, I almost forgot to tell everyone," Kasumi said after assisting Genma. "This morning, Ryoga got his sight back. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Oh yes, excellent," Soun replied distractedly. Genma and Ranma merely continued to eat uninterruptedly. However the announcement did capture the attention of Nabiki and Akane.

Both girls looked toward Ryoga and seemed to notice for the first time that his bandages were missing. Ryoga met Akane's glance and their eyes locked for a brief second before Ryoga looked down at the table in shame.

"Well that's good," Akane finally stated. "That means he's well enough to go home and stop freeloading around here."

Ryoga felt a stab of pain at the anger underlying her words.

Nabiki sardonically commented, "Trust me, at my rates, he hasn't been freeloading. By the way Ryoga, I was hoping that you could sign a few things for me once you had your sight back…"

Kasumi curtly cut in. Well, curtly for her. "But Akane, I'm not sure that Ryoga's well enough to leave just yet."

"Just look at him Kasumi," Akane replied. She gestured in Ryoga's direction. "He's as strong as he ever was. He has his sight back, how much longer do we need to provide him with someplace to stay for?"

Ranma paused eating long enough to comment, "Yeah right. His sight might be back, but I'm not too sure about his strength. This morning he was exhausted just from a little sparing."

Akane pierced Ranma with a look out of the corner of her eye, and Ranma held up his hands placatingly.

"But I'm sure that's just because he hasn't been training," Ranma hastily explained. "He just needs some endurance practice, sand he'll be fine. There's no reason why he can't leave."

"Ranma, Akane, I'm shocked at you," Kasumi said. "Ryoga's our guest…"

"It's alright Kasumi," Ryoga interrupted. "She's right. I'm pretty much recovered. At least enough to get back to my regular life."

Kasumi looked somewhat crestfallen. "But Ryoga…"

"You heard him. He's fine Kasumi. I'm sure that he would be more comfortable back at his own home anyway."

Kasumi took in Akane's resolute expression. The look which signaled that her sister's stubborn side had put its foot down and wasn't going to budge on the issue any further. She turned away and caught Ryoga's dejected study of the top of the breakfast table, and realized that any further argument would be pointless.

For the rest of the meal she wore a small, somewhat defeated frown. A rather shocking appearance for most people who knew her, and yet Ryoga felt as if he were the only one to notice it when he finally felt that it was safe to once more look around.

Ryoga keenly felt Kasumi's outward display of sadness reverberate deep within himself. Using the same logic which had once pinned all the evils of his world on Ranma, Ryoga knew that he was the cause for all of Kasumi's misfortunes. Or at the very least, her present unhappiness.

To have been the cause of even a moment of emotional distress for Kasumi caused Ryoga to feel a deep, almost physical pain, one so intense that a small gasp escaped him.

Ranma noticed Ryoga's pained exhalation and turned to regard the lost boy.

"You alright Ryoga?"

His question caused the Tendo sisters to look up, and once more Ryoga was the center of attention. Under such intense scrutiny Ryoga thought quickly.

"It's just that I remembered I still have my curse," he replied with an only partially faked sigh. "Do you think you can take me home later Ranma?"

"Oh sure," Ranma agreed easily. But almost immediately his face fell. "Wait, I've got school today, and after that I have to …" he broke off awkwardly, then finished lamely, "Well, I have something I havta do." He looked over at Nabiki. "Unless, maybe we could do it some other time?"

Nabiki's look was sharp and dark. "Don't even think about skipping out on this Saotome. Do you have any idea how much it costs to rent by the hour?"

Ranma regretfully turned back to Ryoga. "I'm sorry man, looks like I can't take you today."

"That's alright," Ryoga said tiredly. He was already envisioning the long trek ahead of him, compounded by the loss of all of his normal equipment.

"Ranma, you do know where Ranma's house is don't you?" Kasumi asked with a strange tone in her voice.

Ranma replied cockily, "Of course, I only took him there like three hundred times."

Ryoga flushed with embarrassment about the unsubtle reminder of his directional problem. He angrily turned to Ranma, but before he could say anything, Kasumi continued.

"Then you can just give me directions, and I can take him there later today."

Once again, Kasumi was attempting to take care of him, and suddenly Ryoga felt the desire to appear less weak in her eyes.

So he demurred, "It's fine Kasumi. I don't want to trouble you any…"

"Oh, it's no trouble at all Ryoga," Kasumi pleasantly interrupted.

"Let me go draw you a map," Ranma announced. He leapt up quickly, ostensibly to find pen and paper, leaving behind Akane's ire.

Ryoga slowly returned to his neglected breakfast. Truthfully he wasn't really hungry anymore, but he felt that it would be a shame if Kasumi's wonderful meal went to waste.

The rest of breakfast passed uneventfully, and for the most part silently. Ranma soon returned with a map to Ryoga's home, which Ryoga privately doubted since it looked nothing like the one he had used for so long.

Ranma and Kasumi had a brief conversation Ryoga tried not to listen to, so that he wouldn't get even more depressed about his lack of direction, or his dependence upon Kasumi because of it.

After a little while, first Akane, then Nabiki finished their breakfast and with muttered thanks, left the table to finish preparing for school.

A few minutes later, Nabiki breezed back through on the way out the door. "Don't forget Saotome, meet me after school." Her expression became serious for a moment as she continued, "Don't make me have to find you."

Ranma briefly turned red before mumbling, "Yeah, yeah. I'll be there."

Akane quickly followed on Nabiki's heels and Ranma fell into step with her as they began the journey to school.

Soun leisurely finished his paper while Genma consumed the last of the food on the table. Soon they too left, Genma to his part time job, and Soun to the local grocer's to resupply the house's dwindling alcohol supply.

All too quickly Ryoga and Kasumi were left alone once more.

Ryoga surveyed the breakfast table. He picked up his dirty dishes and began to carry them in the direction of the kitchen. However, before he could take more than a few steps, the dishes were deftly plucked from his grasp by Kasumi.

"Oh, don't worry about the dishes Ryoga, I'll take care of them," she said. She turned with them in her arms and nimbly maneuvered around him to stack more dishes from the table on top of the ones she had relieved him of.

Ryoga was slightly confused. "But Kasumi, I thought that I'd help you with cleaning up."

It had become an unspoken arrangement in the past few days that Ryoga assisted Kasumi while she was doing chores around the house. This was the first time he could remember that she had brushed aside his offer to help.

"It's alright," Kasumi replied. She had somehow managed to artistically stack all the dishes from the table in her arms all at the same time, allowing her to make a single trip back to the kitchen. "I feel like doing the cleaning by myself today."

Her bright smile killed any protest Ryoga might have come up with before it even had a chance to coalesce.

He sighed and agreed, "Alright."

Perhaps Kasumi noticed something in his expression because her smile fell slightly. "If you'd like, you can go to the dojo to get your things together so we can get you home a little quicker.

Ryoga thought about the distance between the dojo and the dining room and predicted the likely outcome of his suddenly resurgent sense of direction. Grasping for an excuse not to travel so far without a guide, Ryoga said, "Honestly, none of those things in the dojo are really mine."

He glanced down at the grey and frayed, yet surprisingly comfortable outfit he was wearing and pulled it away from his chest slightly, putting it on display. "Heck, I'm even borrowing the clothes on my back. Really, the only things I have here are the documents you held onto for me."

"Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten those," Kasumi said.

She turned back toward the kitchen. "Just let me clean this up and we'll get those, then be on our way. Okay?"

"Sure, that'll be fine," Ryoga said somewhat awkwardly. He felt so useless just standing there while Kasumi worked.

"You can just watch some television while you wait." Kasumi called from the kitchen.

Ryoga looked over at the nearby television set and reluctantly approached it. Dutifully he turned it on and the stillness of the house was broken by someone lauding the merits of a particular brand of laundry detergent.

Ryoga lowered the volume until the commercial was the merest of whispers, and listlessly lounged on a pillow which was positioned in front of the set. As he leaned on it, Ryoga felt something hard tucked underneath the pillow.

He reached down and pulled out a well worn manga which had been tucked away. It seemed slightly more interesting than the television, so Ryoga began to skim through it.

Over half an hour later, Ryoga was unsure what the series was really about, but he could keenly identify with the protagonist and how the world seemed out to get him. Although Ryoga had to admit that he didn't have half a dozen love interests vying for his attention.

The sounds of domestic life still emanated from the kitchen, which was strange, because usually Kasumi could clean nearly every dish in the entire kitchen, twice, in about twenty minutes.

Ryoga glanced back over at the television. It was now a commercial for some sort of designer perfume. Idly, Ryoga wondered if Kasumi would be interested in something like that.

Ten more minutes passed, and Ryoga was starting to become slightly worried. If he didn't know better, he would think that Kasumi was purposely drawing out her task, prolonging the time before they left.

Eventually though, the sounds from the kitchen did cease and a short time later Kasumi reappeared.

She smiled wanly as she said, "Well, I'm all finished. We can go get those papers now." She waited for Ryoga to stand before turning around and calling over her shoulder, "Follow me; I kept them upstairs in my room."

Ryoga closely followed Kasumi as she led the way up the stairs and down the familiar hallway to the door labeled with Kasumi's name.

She pushed open the door and quickly crossed the room. But Ryoga, slightly hesitant to trespass on such sacrosanct ground, slowly followed, but stopped only a little ways in.

He was surprised by how bare and Spartan the room seemed. He had spent a considerable amount of time in Akane's room, which he had taken as the standard for a girl's room. In comparison, Kasumi's room seemed almost unlived in.

There was an average sized bed, covered with a very fluffy and soft looking comforter. Next to it was a small nightstand with a lamp standing on top of it. Face down on the table was a small book. Absently Ryoga recognized the language on the back of it being French.

On the other side of the room was a small desk, without even the thought of any clutter on top of it. Next to which was a large window framed by simple lace curtains. On the wall adjacent to it was a closet door, next to which was a small and old looking vanity.

As Kasumi bent over the desk in order to unlock one of its drawers, Ryoga's eyes quickly moved across the unadorned walls and were captured by the vanity's mirror. In between the frame and the glass, a small piece of paper had been wedged.

He stepped closer and discovered that it was a strip of photos; the kind which came from a photo boot. In each of the frames was a small girl who Ryoga recognized as a very young Kasumi, and an older woman whose short hair made her seem an older image of a merged Kasumi and Akane.

Mrs. Tendo, as Ryoga assumed the older woman to be, was smiling mischievously in the first two frames. In the third, the young Kasumi, who had been innocently smiling into the camera in the previous two frames, was captured in mid startled jump. The final picture was of the young Kasumi giving her mother a rather annoyed expression, which came across as extremely cute, while her mother wore an air of guilelessness and looked upwards innocently.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryoga saw Kasumi straighten up and he guiltily stepped away from the photo, feeling as if he had somehow trespassed into a private part of Kasumi's life.

He stiffly stood in the middle of the room as she turned back to face him, and folder full of papers in her hands.

"Here we go," she said cheerfully as she handed him the folder.

"Thank you." For some reason Ryoga was reluctant to accept it, so he slowly reached out and took possession of the papers. Out of all the things he had carried with him over the years, these were all he had left.

"So, I guess we'd better be going then," Ryoga said lamely, feeling the need to fill the void of silence as he tucked the folder under his arm.

"Oh yes, I suppose we should," Kasumi agreed. Her smile seemed fixed and less radiant than normal.

"Just give me a moment to get ready." She gestured to her still damp apron and slightly worn dress she was wearing.

Ryoga was unsure what she meant for a moment, after all, to him she looked fine. But abruptly he realized that she meant that she needed to change clothes.

He muttered a soft "oh" when he realized what she had meant, and when the full ramifications hit him, he continued, "Oh, oh yes. Of course. I'll wait outside." He hastily pointed to the door and quickly made his exit.

As he was closing the door, Kasmi kindly called out, "Don't go too far. You don't want to get lost."

Ryoga firmly closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall next to it, letting out a large sigh.

What was wrong with him?

It seemed to Ryoga that for as long as he could remember, he had been socially inept compared to the people around him, especially when it came to dealing with the opposite gender.

Ryoga had always been slightly jealous of Ranma for being so confident. The other boy was able to go up to any girl and just start talking like it wasn't a big deal or anything.

But Ryoga usually got very nervous when talking to a girl, especially one he had never met before. Usually if he was caught off guard, or didn't think about the situation too much, he was able to have a decent conversation with a girl. However, when he had time to prepare, to think about what it was he wanted to say and how to say it, he would find himself stammering and more often than not, saying the wrong thing.

With Kasumi it had been different. Sure at first he had been somewhat awkward, especially the first few times he had found her alone. But her calm and patient manner had soothed him until it had seemed natural to carry on a conversation with her about nothing and everything.

But for some reason, lately Ryoga had started to become flustered around her again. He was finding it more difficult to start a conversation with her, or even to pick up on the hints she dropped him.

Any normal person would have immediately picked up on the fact that she wanted him out of her room instantly.

Ryoga angrily smacked his head with this fist as he thought about his stupidity.

He blamed the years he had spent wandering, for the most part alone, for his social awkwardness. Dimly he wondered if he could ever fit into the normal society that Kasumi lived in at all.

His angrily depressive thoughts were interrupted by Kasumi's door opening and the beautiful Tendo entering the hall.

She had indeed changed her clothes. Earlier she had been wearing a light blue housedress with her customary somewhat frilly apron protecting her front. Now she wore a very warm yellow dress with small white flowers printed on it, which seemed to somehow accentuate her figure slightly more than the other dress had. Perhaps it was the absence of the apron, or maybe the hint of makeup which Ryoga noticed for the first time, but her femininity seemed to have become more pronounced.

In her hand she carried a pair of yellow flats which perfectly matched her dress. In the other hand was the folded up map Ranma had provided her.

"Well, I think I'm ready to leave if you are." Kasumi smiled up at Ryoga.

Ryoga was momentarily stunned by just how perfect she appeared, and was at a loss for what trip she was alluding to. But all too quickly his facilities returned to him, and he remembered their planed excursion.

"Oh yes, right," he hastily said. He stood slightly closer to the wall in order to give Kasumi as much room as possible to pass by.

Kasumi closed her door and walked past Ryoga, leaving a trail of vanilla behind her. Ryoga followed in her wake as they made their way downstairs where Kasumi paused long enough to collect a pocketbook from a table in the entryway.

They both slipped on their shoes and walked out of the door. On the threshold, Ryoga paused to look back into the darkened house. Somehow, it had become something of a focal point for his life. It had been the home of his greatest enemy, and now was the home of his greatest friend.

Ryoga took a moment to appreciate it before turning away and allowing Kasumi to lock the front door of the house.

Being a normal weekday the street was deserted. The children were at school, the parents and work, and the NEETS locked in their rooms.

The sky was overcast and the clouds high overhead moved swiftly in a wind which sometimes came low enough to reveal itself as a chilly remnant of the recently departed winter.

They walked in companionable silence down the deserted street, to the nearest train station. When they were close to it, Ryoga abruptly realized that he didn't have any lose cash to purchase a train ticket with. But as they approached the entrance and Ryoga began to panic slightly, without a word, Kasumi matter-of-factly purchased both their tickets from the nearby machine and simply ran them through the turnstile.

As he followed her, Ryoga felt a twinge of guilt, as well as gratitude. Guilty for being dependent upon Kasumi, and thankful for Kasumi being so dependable.

It was after the normal morning rush, so the train car they entered was nearly empty. Kasumi selected an empty seat and Ryoga hesitantly sat beside her. Traveling by any means other than walking was somewhat novel to him.

The train ride lasted only a few minutes, but by the time they left the station, the day had become even darker, and the grey clouds had become much lower.

As Kasumi consulted the map Ranma had given her, Ryoga eyed the clouds warily. He keenly felt the absence of his umbrella. Not only had he carried it with him long enough to become used to its familiar weight, but he knew from the way the atmosphere felt, that it wasn't a matter of if it would rain, but rather when.

"Let's see," Kasumi said absently. She looked up from the map at a nearby street sign. "I think that we go down this street here."

She serenely began to walk down the street she had indicated, and Ryoga followed after.

They traveled for several blocks before turning onto a side street. Just as they did, with a torrential crack, a wave of water fell upon them.

The rain was hard and dense, stinging in its intensity. Immediately Ryoga transformed into a piglet, his discarded clothes becoming a wet tent, pushing him against the ground.

Before he had a chance to truly appreciate the situation, deft hands swept the bundle he was in up.

Ryoga struggled through his sodden prison until his head popped out of one of the holes in his shirt. He found himself being cradled by Kasumi who was sprinting down the street towards the shelter of a nearby overhang, beneath which were a couple of vending machines.

She quickly reached it, and from the protection of the overhang, she looked out at the rain. Her arms were full of Ryoga and his soaked clothes, her hands full with the map and Ryoga's partially wet folder.

"Oh my, that was sudden," Kasumi stated. She watched as the torrential rain transformed the small street into a small river.

Ryoga bweed in sad agreement.

Kasumi spent a moment more contemplating the rain before looking down at Ryoga. "According to the map, your house should on the next street over. We'll wait for the rain to lighten up a bit, then make a run for it."

They huddled together in silence for a few long minutes. Ryoga noticed Kasumi's chest quickly rising and falling from her earlier exertion. Dimly he felt her warmth bleed through their clothes and into him.

For a few precious minutes underneath the overhang, curtained off by the rain, they were in their own private world.

But eventually the rain slackened momentarily and Ryoga felt Kasumi tense up.

"Here we go," she announced. She dashed out into the rain, sprinting even faster than she had before. She ran down the street and made a right at the intersection. Her footsteps caused miniature tsunamis. As she ran, Ryoga noted that he had never seen Kasumi move that fast.

Her sprinting lasted only a few more seconds before she stopped in front of a modern looking house with a somewhat rusty nameplate next to the gate with the name Hibiki stenciled upon it. She pushed through the unlocked gate and entered the small front yard. Partial shelter was offered on the small porch in front of the front door.

Ryoga struggled in Kasumi's arms and she carefully set him down. He wriggled out of the confines of his clothes and made a beeline for one of the nearby plant pots.

There were several, most of which were full of earth and decaying plants. A few contained unpruned plants which had exploded in a frenzy of unchecked growth.

It was to one of the larger, empty pots he ran. With a running head butt, his small piglet form knocked the clay pot over, revealing a light circle on the concrete, in the center of which was a house key which shone as if it were brand new.

Ryoga bweed at Kasumi who had closely watched his antics. She bent over and picked up the key, then took a moment to set right the pot Ryoga had knocked over. Though most of the soil had been knocked out into the yard, where the rain was quickly turning it into a large patch of mud.

Kasumi used the key to unlock the front door, and opened it before Ryoga could try and warn her otherwise.

With a graceful yet deft movement, Kasumi avoided the bowling ball attached to a rope which had been set to crush the skull of anyone who entered the front door.

Nonchalantly, Kasumi turned to Ryoga and said, "We should find you some hot water, then dry ourselves off."

For the first time, Ryoga noticed that Kasumi had felt the effects of the rain as much as he had. Her bangs had been flattened and plastered to her forehead. Somewhere she had lost her ribbon, causing her water heavy hair to fall naturally down her back in a rain darkened wave of black.

Her dress too had been attacked by the elements. The hem around her ankles was soaked through with mud, and the cloth around her shoulders was nearly transparent with moisture.

The weight of the water had slightly pulled down the front of the dress, and Ryoga could clearly trace the outline of Kasumi's collarbone pointing downward, leading to …

At that point, Ryoga's faculties experienced a slight hiccup. One which he recovered from only after Kasumi had picked him up and had carried him into the house.

She had left his sodden clothes in the entryway for the moment, along with her pocketbook and his folder.

Shirokuro had been alerted by the sounds at the door, and she quickly appeared to see who was intruding in her house. Upon recognizing Ryoga in his piglet form, she jumped around Kasumi's ankles ecstatically.

The house followed a fairly standard layout. That, combined with Shirokuro's guidance allowed Kasumi to easily find the small first floor bathroom.

She turned on the bright white light of the bathroom and set him down on the cold tiled floor and turned on the nearby wand attached to the faucet. She opened the tap and set it on a hot, yet not boiling temperature.

Kasumi pointed the spray toward a corner away from Ryoga, then took a final, lingering look at the piglet, as if she were contemplating something. She snapped out of her reverie and with a slight blush, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Ryoga watched her leave, and then walked over into the spray of water. Instantly he was taller, stronger, and just as naked.

He reached over and turned off the tap, then picked up one of the stale towels from a nearby rung and dried himself off quickly. He cast about for something to cover himself with, but was unable to find anything other than the towels on the towel rack. Not wanting to deprive Kasumi of a dry towel, he wrapped the one he had used around his waist and opened the bathroom's door.

He found Kasumi standing nearby, petting a grateful Shirokuro.

At the sound of the opening door, they both turned toward Ryoga and looked up at him.

With an automatic and seemingly involuntary action, Kasumi's eyes traveled down his face to his bare chest, and then further still. For some reason, Ryoga was reminded of the looks of the many hungry people he had encountered while in his porcine form.

Just as quickly, Kasumi looked away from Ryoga, and seemed to find a nearby light switch utterly fascinating.

"Um," Ryoga said uncomfortably. "You can go ahead and take a shower to get warmed up. You don't want to catch a cold."

He stood there awkwardly as Kasumi refused to look him in the eye.

"I'll, uh, I'll go find us some clothes." Ryoga gestured, with the hand not holding his towel up, behind him to where the stairs were.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Kasumi politely asked. She braved a cautious glance up at Ryoga's face.

Ryoga waved away her concerns. "I should be fine. It is my house after all."

"Well if you're sure that you'll be fine…"

Ryoga forced a smile and nodded encouragingly.

"Then, if you'll excuse me," Kasumi demurely said.

She brushed past Ryoga and into the bathroom. Ryoga contemplated the door she had closed behind her for a moment before turning to make his way into the still darkened parts of the house.

With Shirokuro at his heels, Ryoga found his way upstairs, and turned on the hallway light. He then walked down the hall, past the door to his parent's room. He knew that it was likely the most booby trapped area of the house so he decided not to brave it unless he was unable to find something suitable for Kasumi to wear elsewhere.

He also passed the door to the spare bedroom, although really it wasn't a bedroom any longer. Ryoga and his parents used it as a storage place for the items they collected in their travels which didn't really fit into their own rooms.

It had become so full of miscellaneous tourist trash that there was only a few feet of space left for movement through the piles of accumulated things.

Ryoga continued down the hall and finally came to his own room. It was as he had left it the last time he had been home. He strode over to the dresser and searched through the drawers until he had assembled an outfit nearly identical to the one he had worn for so many years. After such a long period of time, his normal bandanna felt a little strange and uncomfortable on his forehead.

He turned back to the dresser to find something for Kasumi to wear. He didn't have any clothing made specifically for women, but he did find a souvenir shirt from Hokkaido that he thought might fit her smaller frame. He also found a pair of sweatpants which he had outgrown a few years previously.

He bundled the clothes together and walked back downstairs. As he passed, he picked up a small end table from the living room and placed it next to the bathroom door. He then neatly folded the clothes and placed them on its top.

Ryoga knocked on the bathroom's door and announced over the sound of running water, "I've put the clothes on the table out here Kasumi."

"Alright Ryoga. Thank you," she replied back through the door.

Deciding to give her some privacy, Ryoga went back into the rest of the house to see if there had been any changes since his last visit.

He entered the kitchen and found it much like the rest of the house, clean, but slightly dusty. There was a bowl on the table with a note next to it. He glanced at the bowl and found it was full of rice with a piece of what might have at one time been fish.

From a distance they appeared to be fresh, but on closer inspection both the fish and rice were petrified and as hard as stone.

Ryoga picked up the note and read, "Hello Ryoga. How are you doing? I hope that you're eating well. I made this for you to keep your strength up. Try to eat it while it's still warm. Love Mom."

Judging by the rigidity of the rice, as well as the amount of dust on everything, it had been made perhaps a month earlier.

He picked up the bowl and regretfully carried it to the trash where he dumped the contents out. It wasn't often that he made it home, and it had literally been years since he had last tasted his mother's cooking.

Ryoga washed the bowl out and placed it on the drying rack. He then placed the note along with the others, pinned to the refrigerator with a magnet.

While he was there, he opened to door in order to take inventory. As usual, the refrigerator was rather bare. It was difficult for the Hibiki family to make it to the store and back in a short enough time to avoid spoilage.

He looked up at a nearby clock and noticed that it was nearly lunch time, so he decided to make a warm meal to slightly repay Kasumi for all that she had done for him.

Ryoga checked the pantry and it was fully stocked with a wide variety of canned and dried foods. After taking a quick inventory of what was available, Ryoga decided on making a simple pot of Nyumen for lunch.

It was simple, yet filling, and one of the dishes he had the most practice in making, thanks to having only the most minimal of facilities when he was out camping.

As he waited for the water to broil, he glanced out the window over the sink. Outside the rain had become more intense, until it looked almost as if a solid wall of water was falling down upon the house. He took a moment to thank whatever deity was listening for him not being outside, lost as a piglet, in such a deluge.

He had just finished the final touch of adding some dried green onion he had found, when he heard footsteps making the transition from the carpeted living room to the tile of the kitchen.

Ryoga turned from the simmering pot of noodles and broth and had to grasp at the edge of the table to steady himself. He had become slightly dizzy at the transformation Kasumi had undergone.

The shirt which had barely fit him was extremely large on her. So much so that one of her shoulders was in constant danger of slipping through the hole meant for her neck. The vast stretch of exposed white skin included her graceful neck, which was partially concealed by her fully let down hair. Something about its unrestrained framing of her face seemed to make her eyes jump out and capture his.

As she moved further into the kitchen, and turned away from the frozen form of Ryoga to focus on what he had been working on, Ryoga was released from her unintentional spell. He noticed that the large shirt extended well below her waist, but was unable to hide the fact that the sweatpants he had loaned her were similarly loose. They were bunched up at the bottom of the legs and seemed to be attempting to trip Kasumi up every time she moved.

"Oh my Ryoga, I didn't know that you knew how to cook," she said as she came to stand beside him. "What did you make?"

"Nya, Nyu, Nyumen," Ryoga flusterdly stuttered out.

"It smells great," Kasumi commented. She smiled up at Ryoga.

For his part, Ryoga was trying to examine the grout between the floor tiles in order to distract himself, so that he didn't make a fool out of himself.

"Uh, yes, I made it for us. For lunch." Ryoga was just saying random things he hoped made sense.

"Well, it looks like it's ready," Kasumi said. "Where do you keep the dishes?"

With an unthinking ease, Kasumi quickly took charge of the meal preparation. In a few minutes, they were seated at the table, steaming bowls in front of them.

Ryoga had turned on the radio in order to fill the slightly awkward silence he now strangely felt in Kasumi's presence.

Its low volume softly piped music through the kitchen, and with only a minimal amount of conversation, the two ate lunch.

Abruptly the music was interrupted by a radio announcement.

"We're sorry to interrupt our programming, but we have just received an urgent bulletin. Due to severe weather, train service in the Nerima ward will be temporarily suspended until further notice."

At the announcement, Ryoga looked up at Kasumi with a look of near panic on his face. He was already having difficulties in just spending this brief mealtime with her. Now it looked as if he was going to have to somehow survive the rest of the day in her distracting company.

* * *

Alternative Titles for this chapter:

The one which destroyed my naming convention

I'm not quite dead yet

A big thank to Red Dragonfly for beta reading this chapter and making it suck that much less.

Also, thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and thanks for reminding me to stop slacking off and work on this again.

As to why it took so long to come up with this. Well, I kinda was working on an original piece of fiction, and that, combined with my new gainful employment as an automation technician, kinda ate up a lot of my time. Plus, I had originally planned to wrap this story up in this chapter, but in order to do that, it would have been 3-4 times as long. So I decided to break it up into 3-4 different chapters. So yay, more writing.


	8. select  from story where chapNum  8

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

The radio soon returned to an upbeat pop song, but its cheerfulness was drowned out by the steady pounding of rain. Even with the radio and the rain, the house seemed eerily silent.

Kasumi looked across the table at the obviously stunned Ryoga.

"Oh my, I hope that the trains resume soon," she said. Though there was a part of her which was thrilled at the prospect of spending more time with Ryoga. It seemed like he had finally returned to his healthy normal self, like she had just now had her friend back. Yet she was having to give him up just as quickly as she had found him. She was being forced to watch as he walked away to who knew where, for who knew how long.

At the same time another part of her was feeling very awkward about sitting in a strange kitchen in borrowed clothing. Loose borrowed clothing at that.

Kasumi felt a small burst of embarrassment as she thought about her current attire and what she must look like to Ryoga. Not quite ready to observe his reaction, Kasumi developed an interest in the bowl in front of her.

The meal passed in a deep and awkward silence that Kasumi eventually timidly broke when they were left with nothing else but to talk with one another.

"While we wait for the rain to die down and for the trains to begin running again, we could go ahead and dry our clothes," she suggested.

Kasumi was a little anxious that her normal clothes were dry as soon as possible. For while the clothes Ryoga had provided her were warm, they were dangerously loose. The rain had been coming down in torrents earlier and had soaked through all of Kasumi's clothes, including her underwear.

So she had decided to go without them when she had donned the dry clothes. Which was the major reason why she felt uneasy sitting across the table from Ryoga.

This was the least dressed Kasumi could remember being in front of someone else outside her family, and the fact that it was with Ryoga, even if he wasn't aware of it, or maybe because he wasn't, made her feel a bit strange.

"Well, I'm afraid that we don't have a dryer," Ryoga said almost as if he really was afraid of offending her. "But we do have a washing machine so we can at least get the mud off of your dress," he offered.

Kasumi didn't seem to have many options, and something in Ryoga's tone made her want to take him up on his offer.

"That's fine. We can clean our clothes, and then hang them up to dry," she said. A rumble of thunder echoed her statement and Kasumi glanced at the rain-battered window. "We can hang them up to dry in the bathroom," she amended.

Together they cleared the table, setting the soiled dishes next to the sink. Ryoga then led Kasumi out of the kitchen and back down the hallway the bathroom opened off of. He continued almost to its end and opened a door, revealing a small room, not much larger than a closet, dominated by a washing machine which had an empty plastic basket perched on top.

"This is the laundry room," Ryoga announced. He took the basket off the machine and set it on the floor, then leaned in and examined the wall next to the door. He then he checked the wall opposite it in confusion.

"That's strange. The line we use for indoor drying is usually hanging up right here." He turned back to Kasumi and said, "I'll go see if I can find it, or something else we can use."

"Then I'll go and gather our clothes," Kasumi agreed. She backed up, moving out of Ryoga's way as he began his search, then leaned down and picked the laundry basket up. She returned to the bathroom and picked up her neatly discarded clothes, careful to hide her underwear in the center of the mound.

She could easily imagine what Ryoga's reaction would be if he were to catch sight of it. At first he would be clueless and continue to act normally, but then his brain would realize what it had been that he had just seen and then he would be left a shyly shocked, stammering mess.

Kasumi smiled slightly at just how cute Ryoga would look so befuddled, and at just how much power she had over someone as strong as Ryoga.

And he was so very strong. She had seen him several times without his shirt. She had seen just how his muscles had slid against one another in sharp curves which advertised their steel-like hardness. The few times she had been bold enough to touch him when he was in top physical form, Kasumi had been in awe of the way Ryoga's skin had felt. It had been as if there was a thin layer of flesh and blood covering a center made of smooth marble.

Yet Kasumi had never feared Ryoga. She had heard from Akane and Ranma of the many times he had forgotten his own strength, and even had seen a few times where he had used more force than necessary to tear through a wall or destroy some other type of obstacle. But for some reason, the thought that Ryoga would ever, or even could ever, hurt her had never occurred to Kasumi.

Ryoga had always been gentle with Kasumi. He had never lost himself so much that he had lost control of those rippling muscles, when dealing with her.

Kasumi shook herself slightly. She was dwelling far too much on Ryoga and needed to get back to the task at hand.

She left the bathroom and retraced her steps to the front entranceway where the soggy clothes Ryoga had been wearing were still lying in a fairly organized pile on the drying mat. She added them to the other clothes in her basket, and then returned to the laundry room. The air was soon filled with the quiet but soothingly familiar sound of clothes being machine washed.

"I found it," Ryoga called out triumphantly from deeper in the house.

Kasumi leaned out and poked her head back into the hallway to find Ryoga walking down the hall, his clothes ripped and his skin smoking, a cord coiled in one hand.

"Mom used it for one of her traps in the guest room," he explained. "I'll go set it up in the bathroom."

So saying, Ryoga disappeared into the bathroom, and Kasumi turned to finish putting the detergent and softener back where she had found them.

She softly frowned to herself at the layer of dust she had disturbed while using the washer. While the house was neat and tidy, well looked after in fact, for a place visited once every few months, it suffered from neglect in a few minor ways.

Kasumi spotted a well worn piece of cloth tucked above the washer, small and ragged around the edges. Obviously a rag. Next to it was a spray bottle of all purpose cleaner.

Almost absentmindedly she picked the rag and cleaner up and with a spritz and a few wipes, the washing machine was sparkling clean. She then noticed the patina of dust on the shelf next to the washer. A few swipes later and it too was clean. Instinctively she tucked the rag into her pocket.

She left the laundry room and noticed that the table next to the bathroom was similarly covered in dust. She quickly rectified the situation.

Through the open door Kasumi saw Ryoga slipping one end of the taunt line over a small imbedded hook high on one of the walls.

"There we go," he said while turning around. He paused when he saw Kasumi in the open doorway, and appeared puzzled with he saw the now dirty rag in her hand.

Feeling guilty, Kasumi half-heartedly tried to hide the rag behind her back and offered the explanation, "I was just putting the clothes in the machine and noticed a little dust that I wiped up…"

She trailed off as Ryoga first looked incredulous, then pained.

"What kind of host am I, that my guests have to clean my house?" he asked himself out loud.

"It's not like that," Kasumi said earnestly. "There was just a little dust that was bothering me, and I took care of it, that's all."

"That's not all. We don't come home often, so everything is dusty, not just the laundry room. The whole house must be bothering you."

Honestly it was, but it would be impolite of Kasumi to say so. But her expression, coupled with her silence was all the confirmation Ryoga needed.

"I'm so sorry," Ryoga said mournfully. As if he been put to an important test and had been found wanting. "I'll get started on cleaning it up right away."

He stepped forward and reached for the rag that Kasumi was holding. However, at the last moment she pulled it back just out of his reach.

"Honestly it's fine," she lied.

"No it's not. Just give me a little while and I'll clean it up."

"Well then I'll clean it with you," Kasumi decided.

Again Ryoga looked pained. "I can't ask you to do that. You are a guest here and …"

"Ryoga," Kasumi interrupted. "If we were back at my house and I needed to clean something up, would you sit around and watch while I worked?"

Ryoga looked away; they both knew that he had often offered to help Kasumi in her daily chores, even when she didn't strictly need it.

"Fine," he agreed. "But let me clean all the hard to reach places," he said in an attempt to mollify his own sense of worth.

Kasumi just smiled in reply.

The next few hours were quickly wiled away as the two gave the house a thorough cleaning. As they were first dusting, and then vacuuming, neither noticed how the rain continued unabated or how late the hour was growing.

"Well, I think that's the last of it," Ryoga announced as he moved the refrigerator back into place. The square of dirt normally underneath it had just been mopped away by Kasumi.

"I think you're right," Kasumi agreed as she poured out a bucket of greyish water into the sink. "The laundry is probably done by now, so I'll just go and hang it up."

Ryoga smiled warmly and offered, "I'll come and help then."

Immediately Kasumi thought of her unmentionables and her earlier fantasy about what would happen to Ryoga if he saw them.

"No," she said a bit more forcibly than she had intended. "No. There isn't that much for me to do. Besides, you can get started on dinner." She glanced at the clock on the nearby wall. Was it really 5:00 already?

"Oh, okay. If you're sure," Ryoga said hesitantly.

Kasumi gave him a reassuring smile before she turned and left the kitchen.

The washer had long since been finished, but the clothes were still quite damp. Kasumi placed them in the clothes basked once again and transported them to the bathroom. She hummed quietly to herself as she pinned them onto the drying line, glad to see that the mud on her dress had come out without leaving a stain.

She tried to be discreet in her placement of her bra and panties, but as she closed the door behind her, she hoped that Ryoga wouldn't have a reason to go into the bathroom before the clothes were done drying. She didn't want to traumatize him after all. Too much.

On her way back to the kitchen, Kasumi passed by a small table with a telephone perched on top of it. For the first time since the radio announcement Kasumi remembered her family.

"Ryoga, would you mind if I use your phone?" she called out.

"What? Oh sure," Ryoga replied distractedly. His voice muffled by the walls between them.

From memory Kasumi dialed the number for Cat Café. It rang only once before the phone was answered by a voice well smoothed by repetition.

"Thank you for calling Cat Café, home of the best ramen in Japan. How I help you?"

"Good evening Shampoo, this is Kasumi Tendo."

"Oh, nice girl! What can Shampoo do for you?"

"Well, I'm not going to be home tonight and I wanted to order dinner for the rest of the family since I won't be there to cook for them."

"Sure, sure, you want the regular order, charged to regular account?"

"Oh, I'm sure that would be fine."

"Okay, not problem. I be there in ten minute."

"Alright. Thank you Shampoo."

"Not problem nice girl. You have nice night."

"You too," Kasumi replied to the dial tone. She pressed her finger down on the button in the phones cradle. After a moment's pause she lifted it again and dialed the number for her home. After the fifth ring, Nabiki answered.

"Tendo residence," she announced.

"Hello Nabiki, it's Kasumi."

"Oh finally!" Nabiki replied, relief evident in her voice. "We were starting to get worried because of the storm. Where are you?"

"I'm still over at Ryoga's house at the moment. The storm has been particularly ferocious here, and the trains stopped running."

"So I guess that means you won't be home in time to fix dinner."

"I'm afraid not," Kasumi replied truly regretfully. "But I did call Cat Café and they should be there soon with the order."

"You know, we could have fended for ourselves. You didn't need to go out of your way to take care of us," Nabiki said dryly.

Just then in the background there was a loud crash and the raised voices of first Akane, then Shampoo, and then Ranma.

"Looks like dinner is here," Nabiki observed. "This number next to the telephone is for the emergency contractor right?"

"Yes, but he insisted that we only call him after business hours for extreme emergencies only."

"I think this qualifies. Gotta go."

"Wait," Kasumi quickly called out before Nabiki could hang up. "Please tell father that I probably won't be able to come home tonight, so I'll be spending the night at Ryoga's house."

"Okay, sure," Nabiki replied distractedly.

The connection was abruptly cut, and Kasumi replaced the handset on its cradle. She was mildly worried about how the rest of her family was doing as she stepped back into the kitchen.

Shirokuro was placidly lying beneath the table while Ryoga bent over the stove, his back toward Kasumi. Kasumi paused and gently petted an appreciative Shirokuro on the head.

Ryoga turned toward a nearby counter and saw Kasumi out of the corner of his eye. He fully turned toward her and smiled bashfully as he nervously wiped his hands clean on a dish towel.

"That was quick," he stated. "I hope you don't mind, but it seemed like most of the ingredients I found were for curry, so I decided to go with that for dinner. I was just starting the preparations now."

"Curry sounds nice. Is there anything that I could do to help?"

"Of course." Ryoga moved out of the way, revealing a slab of defrosting meat, uncut but freshly washed dried vegetables, and a wide assortment of small containers of spices.

Kasumi stepped forward and in a companionable silence they prepared the meal. Through the nearby windows the dark, grey day became increasingly darker, until the outside world had completely disappeared with the exception of the blurred waves of rain which whitely reflected the cozy kitchen's light.

It felt to Kasumi as if the whole world had shrunk down to the size of the house, a world with only the two of them in it. A world where they moved in near synchronization from the many hours they had spent in each other's company.

Soon the meal was complete, and Ryoga dutifully transported it to the small kitchen table while Kasumi placed a smaller plate on the floor next to the sink.

Shirokuro cocked her head in interest, then padded over to investigate the proffered food. Kasumi gave her a reassuring pat as she walked past the dog and toward the table.

Ryoga waited until she was seated to sit down himself. Both of them politely waited for the other to start. Eventually Kasumi took the initiative and sampled the dish first. It was good, not too spicy, but not too bland either. It would have been better if they had used fresh ingredients, and the rice from Ryoga's rice cooker was slightly damper than what the one at the Tendo house produced. But it was still good.

"It's delicious," Kasumi pronounced. Ryoga had been tensely awaiting her verdict; upon hearing it he relaxed and slowly sampled the plate in front of him as well.

"It's good," he confirmed. "Thanks to you. Somehow everything you make tastes delicious."

Kasumi flushed slightly at his praise and demurred, "I only helped a little bit. You're the one who did most of the work."

"But I've never made curry this good," Ryoga protested. "Obviously you're the reason it turned out well."

"It was the ingredients we used …"

They probably would have continued to shirk responsibility for how well the meal had turned out if Shirokuro hadn't trotted over to Kasumi and laid her head in her lap, tail wagging in appreciation. The dog provided a much welcome interruption.

"She looks like she really likes you," Ryoga observed.

Kasumi scratched Shirokuro's head, then turned back to her curry. The rest of the meal passed in companionable silence with Shirokuro curling up at Kasumi's feet.

The rain had settled down somewhat from a wild tempest into a steady drumming against the black windows. Again it almost seemed to Kasumi as if the world outside of her, Ryoga, and their comfortable little area had ceased to exist.

And Shirokuro, Kasumi amended as the dog rested her warm and soft head on Kasumi's bare foot.

Kasumi had never had a pet before. Ever since her mother's death, the thought of loving something like a pet, something you knew from the outset that its lifespan was shorter than yours, had always seemed unbearable to Kasumi. Just thinking about watching something or someone you love slowly die brought back vague and painful feelings.

But, she did have to admit that at that moment, with no thought of the future, frozen in time in a bubble separated from the world, Shirokuro's presence was comforting. Maybe it was due to the fact that Shirokuro was naturally friendly and had accepted Kasumi without reservations. She seemed comfortable and relaxed around her.

Shirokuro wasn't the only one who was relaxing Kasumi noticed. Ever since Ryoga had regained his eyesight, perhaps even before that, he had seemed to have distanced himself and been slightly on edge when he was with her. But now, Kasumi looked across the table where Ryoga was sedately eating. He seemed calm and comfortable. Though after a few moments he seemed to feel Kasumi's eyes watching him. He looked up from the meal and met her gaze.

He seemed to find something off-putting in Kasumi's face because he nervously asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Kasumi smiled brightly in reply. "Oh no, I was just enjoying the moment. I like spending time with you."

Ryoga blushed and they lapsed into silence again. As Kasumi turned back to the meal, she felt a small twinge of worry at how her family was doing.

She wasn't worried about them missing dinner. No matter how much chaos was caused by Shampoo's arrival, they would eventually get around to eating. Even if she hadn't ordered from Cat Café they probably would have been fully capable of fending for themselves. Ranma and his father were passable cooks, but not overly enthusiastic about volunteering for the job. Her father and Nabiki were competent enough to follow the instructions on prepackaged food, and Akane's culinary skills had improved to the point that when she made a dish it tasted the way it should.

The real reason Kasumi had ordered out for dinner was simply so that Shampoo would have an excuse to visit the Tendo home and hopefully be enough of a distraction for her father to overlook the fact that Kasumi was staying the night at a boy's house unchaperoned.

While her father might not be the most ideal parent in the world, he was far from the worst. When it came to the innocence of his daughters, he was fiercely protective of them. With the exception of if they were engaged and he heartily approved of the young man of course.

Although, it had always seemed to Kasumi that her father had treated each of the Tendo sisters slightly differently from each other. Kasumi was the dutiful daughter, incapable of making a mistake because she wasn't allowed to.

Nabiki had enjoyed slightly more freedom. She hadn't had to live up to the standards of being the perfect eldest daughter. But when they had been younger, she had been protected by being severely restricted as to when she could go out, and who she was allowed to go out with.

Akane though, well Akane had been the baby of the family and because of that she had always been allowed to get away with anything.

Kasumi recalled how when she had been in middle school, and even into high school, Akane had often come home bruised and dirty from fights she had gotten into. At first Kasumi had been shocked, she had treated her sister's injuries and fused over her, all the while expecting their father to sternly reprimand Akane for being so physical and violent. But he never did.

He had kept silent on the matter for the most part, only speaking about it when he encouraged Akane to continue with her "practice." Eventually Kasumi had grown used to Akane's outgoing and predictably confrontational ways, and had ceased being shocked over the results of her fights.

Though there were occasions when Akane had managed to surprise her. For instance Akane had spent years growing her hair out, and then one day she had come home nonchalantly with it drastically shortened.

As Kasumi finished the last of her curry, she hoped that the chaos she had quite literally called down upon her family wasn't too severe.

Time had passed while she had been ruminating, and Kasumi found that dinner was nearly over. She looked across the table at Ryoga who was belatedly attempting to politely match Kasumi's more sedate pace of eating.

"So, was it alright with your family that you stay the night?" he eventually asked. Unknowingly he echoed Kasumi's train of thought. "I mean, I know that a lot of people would probably hesitate to let their daughter stay over at a guy's house. Not that I'm saying I'd try anything," he hastily added.

"Oh no, they understood the fact that I can't get home tonight due to the rain," Kasumi reassured Ryoga before he could work himself up into an awkwardly flustered ramble.

"That's good," Ryoga lamely said. "I mean, it's not good that you're stuck here. Just that it's nice that we can spend more time together."

Ryoga appeared to have decided that maybe he had said enough. He leapt up and quickly collected the dishes on the table and carried them to the sink. Kasumi gathered her own dishes and joined him.

Ryoga turned on the sink and methodically began to wash the dishes from dinner, as well as the ones they had used to cook the meal. Kasumi picked up a nearby towel, and began to dry the dishes that Ryoga had cleaned.

For a moment he looked as if he were going to object to Kasumi helping him once again. But he met her determined eyes and let the matter go.

The sound of running water and the gentle clicks of the dishes bumping together filled the air while they cleaned. It might have been Kasumi's imagination, but it felt almost as if Ryoga was purposefully drawing the activity out. Eventually though Kasumi placed the final plate on the drying rack as Ryoga wiped up the excess water that he had spilt onto the counter.

Ryoga broke the silence, "So, what should we do now?" he asked apprehensively.

With a start, Kasumi realized why Ryoga had been slow while cleaning the dishes. He was trying to be a good host, but had run out of things to do. A life on the road, constantly moving, likely didn't prepare you very well for a social life where you had to entertain a guest for an extended period of time.

Kasumi's eyes met Ryoga's and she noticed his building anxiety, how he was desperately anticipating whatever it was she was about to say. No doubt he was waiting for her to chastise him for being so ill prepared or uncultured.

Quickly Kasumi racked her brain for a suitable response. But what was there for them to do? Watch TV? Did he have a television? Kasumi couldn't recall seeing one when they had been cleaning. They had just eaten, so they couldn't really make another meal together. Read? No. Rain continued to fall and night had fully come, so they were limited to indoor activities. They had already cleaned everything …

Kasumi smiled at Ryoga, "Why don't we go into the living room and maybe you can tell me more about your travels," she sweetly suggested. "I think that last time you were telling me about the steppes of Mongolia and all the magnificent forests there."

Ryoga tilted his head in thought before replying, "Actually, I'm pretty sure that wasn't Mongolia now that I think about it. Everyone was driving on the right side of the road. What side of the road do they use in Mongolia?"

"I'm afraid that I don't know," replied Kasumi apologetically. She led the way from the kitchen to the living room with Ryoga, followed by Shirokuro, following after her.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, that might have been Brazil. Asia and South America are surprisingly close together."

"I didn't know that."

"Well most people act as if everything is so far from everywhere else. But really you can get just about anywhere on foot. It just takes awhile. Especially when they move towns and cities around on you."

Kasumi settled into one of the comfortable chairs situated next to the couch with dominated one of the walls in the living room. Ryoga sat down on the end of the couch nearest Kasumi while Shirokuro sat down in the empty space between the couch and chair.

She nudged Ryoga a few times with her nose, but the lost boy was lost in his own thoughts about where exactly he had been. So the two toned dog thrust her head into the open palm Kasumi had left dangling over the arm rest and Kasumi absently petted the dog's warm head.

Ryoga returned to the topic that Kasumi had originally broached. "The trees were awe inspiring though, wherever I was. They weren't densely packed together, but they were so enormous that their branches locked together far overhead and seemed to make an impermeable roof sealing out the sky.

"In fact, when it snowed, the snow and ice piled up and created a solid ceiling of blue, grey, and white. I felt like I was walking through a giant cavern or maybe even a cathedral. Everything was so silent, almost as if the whole forest had decided to hold its breath until spring."

Kasumi could vividly picture the scene, but there was a small detail that bothered her. "Are you certain you were in Brazil? I might be wrong, but I thought Brazil was too close to the equator for them to have snow."

Ryoga frowned in thought. "You might be right. Usually I figure out where I am by asking the locals, but when I'm wandering around by myself, I have to make a guess as to where I am." He smiled sadly and self-deprecatingly. "It's kind of strange. I travel all the time, but I have such a poor knowledge of geography. I've seen the world, but I couldn't tell you how to get from here back to the train station without getting you lost."

Ryoga seemed to be slipping back into his normal melancholy, so Kasumi began to try and think of a more palatable subject to talk about.

"So, of all the places you've been, where's your favorite?"

Ryoga opened his mouth to reply instinctively, but caught himself before he could say anything. His eyes met Kasumi's, and he blushed before he quickly looked away. He swallowed whatever it had been that he had been going to say, and instead pondered the question for a few moments.

"I suppose," he said hesitantly, "my favorite place would be in the mountains. Not a particular set really, just mountains in general. They all have similarities, but at the same time each mountain range is unique."

He smiled ruefully. "It is difficult getting to the top, especially if you don't know the Bokusai Tenketsu, but once you reach the summit … It's like the whole world has been spread out in front of you. You can see the rivers and streams, the roads and cities, you can see the forests and grasslands. You can see everything."

His voice had dropped to a reverent whisper, betraying the awe he felt, as well as the amount of trust he placed in Kasumi, to share something he felt so deeply about.

"You know, when I'm on top of a mountain, I almost feel as if I know where I am. I can trace a path as straight as an arrow, or as crooked as a river. But I can actually see the path. It's not like a map that shows you how to get somewhere from a bird's eye view, but is useless when you're down on the ground having to choose left or right at a tree that is identical to all the thousands of others in the forest.

"No, when I'm looking down on it all spread out before me, I can see the path, I can chart it. But when I leave the mountain, to try and follow it, it just … disappears. And then I'm lost again."

A host of emotions had played across Ryoga's face and through his voice as he spoke. But the final note of weary resignation in his voice tore at Kasumi. Shirokuro had lain down, freeing Kasumi's hand, so she placed it on top of Ryoga's and squeezed it slightly to show him that he wasn't alone.

Ryoga lifted his bowed head and smiled wanly at her. His hand turned over and his calloused fingers locked with hers. For a moment Kasumi forgot about the rain, she forgot about the house, and even forgot about her family. For a brief moment she was completely focused on the fact that Ryoga was someone important to her, and he was in pain. A pain that she didn't know how to fix, but desperately wanted to relieve him of. All she could do was offer what little strength she had; so that's what she did.

"It's just … so hard sometimes," Ryoga said thickly. He had a distant look in his eyes, staring at something far removed from Kasumi. "It gets so lonely. I've tried to be strong, I've tried so hard." He lapsed into silence and Kasumi gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. But he didn't seem to notice. He was still lost in wherever or whenever that was causing him so much pain.

"I remember, back when I was a kid, back when I was still living with my aunt, my parents would find me at least once a month. It was a lot easier back when I was able to stay in one place. I didn't really understand then, but nearly every time my father visited me he told me, 'Ryoga, it's a harsh world out there. Especially for a Hibiki. That's why you have to be strong, stronger than anyone else. Because you'll be tested more than anyone else.'"

Ryoga smiled painfully, his eyes shadowed. "I thought that he meant physical strength." He focused on his unoccupied hand and balled it into a fist. "So I made the promise to him to become the strongest person ever.

"Eventually my aunt and uncle had a kid of their own, and they couldn't really look after me anymore, so I moved here to my parent's house. Every free moment I had I trained. I pushed myself to become stronger, harder, better. Back then my sense of direction was better and I was able to push myself physically without having to worry about where I would sleep that night.

"It wasn't until I was older, when it began to take days, then weeks to find my way home, that I realized that my father hadn't been talking about purely physical strength, but mental and emotional as well. When I first started getting lost, I was so unprepared. There were times when I honestly thought I was going to die."

There was a hitch in Ryoga's voice, but he kept speaking, almost as if he couldn't stop himself now that he had started.

"There were weeks I spent without food; days spent wandering snowy mountain passes in clothes that felt paper thin. But in the end, I did become strong. Physically and mentally at least. Emotionally, perhaps not as much. There are times I would give everything I own just to hear another human voice."

He laughed derisively. "But when I'm around other people, I usually can't wait to get away from them again. I hate to be alone, but I can't stand being too long with others. I feel like they are judging me, and never finding anything about me that they like.

"In the end, I guess I'm just too confused to fit in anywhere." He sighed mournfully. "I guess I'm still not strong enough. Maybe I never will be."

Kasumi felt tears threatening to overwhelm her. Tears for the boy Ryoga had been, as well as the boy he had never been allowed to be. But she hastily blinked them back.

After her mother had died, Kasumi had quickly learned that crying in front of others accomplished nothing, or worse, caused others to feel pity and sadness. Kasumi never wanted anyone to feel as badly as she had, so she had long ago learnt that tears were meant only for the privacy of her own bedroom.

So instead of uselessly crying, Kasumi gently patted the hand that held hers and comfortingly said, "You're one of the strongest people I know Ryoga. I'm sure that your parents are proud of all that you've done and of everything you will do."

Ryoga's startled eyes met hers, as if he had only just remembered Kasumi's presence. He quickly looked down at their joined hands and snatched his from hers as if from a burning fire. Kasumi found the cool air much less pleasant on her skin than his warm hand.

"I'm sure that they love you," she continued. "No matter how you've turned out, you're their son, so in their eyes you're perfect." She acted calm and unperturbed at Ryoga's actions, being as careful around him as if he were a wild animal who had just eaten from her hand for the first time before becoming startled and shying away. Kasumi would be lying if she said the rejection hadn't hurt her, but she had known Ryoga long enough that his usual reaction to intimacy was to pull away.

Her soft tone and slow movements seemed to work as the panicked look in Ryoga's eyes began to fade.

"Yeah," he awkwardly replied. "I just wish I could see them more often. The last time we were together was a few years ago in Paris. We managed to spend almost the whole day together before we lost one another."

Ryoga eyes lit up.

"I have some pictures of that trip if you'd like to see them," he eagerly offered.

Pictures of one the places she wanted to travel to most in the world?

"Oh my, yes. I would love to see them Ryoga."

"Great! They're up in my bedroom." He seemed relieved that they had left the emotionally charged conversation behind them as he stood up.

Kasumi also rose to her feet, and followed Ryoga as he made his way upstairs to his room. Shirokuro merely raised her head before sleepily dropping it back down as they left.

During the massive cleaning they had given the house earlier, Kasumi had respected Ryoga's privacy and had stayed out his room. Abstractly she had assumed that it would be like Ranma's room back at the Tendo house. Minimalistic to the point of being Spartan. She hadn't been in enough boys' rooms to form a different image.

However, as Ryoga opened the door and led her through, Kasumi was shocked. The room was just so full. The floor was clean, with the exception of a few clothes near the closet strewn about. But the walls and every flat surface available were crammed with every sort of souvenir imaginable.

There were flags and pennants, statues and figurines, pictures and postcards everywhere. Most of it appeared to be the type of cheap item you would find in a bin at a store in an airport. Some of the pieces though hid their uniqueness amongst the horde of mass produced bric-a-brac of countless countries, cities, and tourists spots.

For instance, the small statuette of a woman dressed in traditional Chinese clothing pouring water from an urn. It appeared to Kasumi's inexperienced eye to be made out of solid jade. Or the plate hanging on the wall, around whose rim was deeply etched something in a language Kasumi had never seen before. Kasumi had polished enough silver in her life to know it when she saw it.

While Kasumi had been admiring various pieces of Ryoga's collection, the lost boy had been bent over the dresser around which the clothes had been scattered. He spent a few moments rummaging around before turning back to Kasumi with a worn book in his hands.

He cast about, appearing to search for a comfortable place to sit, but there didn't seem to be anywhere other than the partially cluttered floor and the impeccably made bed. Kasumi noticed his dilemma and decided to take the initiative by moving to the bed. She demurely perched upon its edge and Ryoga, only semi-reluctantly, carefully sat down next to her.

The book Ryoga was holding turned out to be a cloth covered scrapbook with the name "Hibiki" boldly embroidered on the front. Ryoga cracked it open, skimming through the first half of the book. A slew of pages full of pictures, moving too fast for Kasumi to recognize, flipped through his hands before he finally stopped. The page he settled on was near the middle of the book, but appeared to be the last one that had been used since there was a massive white block at the bottom of the page.

"Here we are," Ryoga said. He pointed to one of the few pictures on the page. "Good ol' Paris. I really need to work on my French before I go back. It took forever to get a local to take our picture."

Kasumi leaned forward and looked closely at the picture Ryoga had pointed out. It was one of the photos which are a requirement for any trip to Paris, the picture in front of the Eiffel Tower. But what Kasumi concentrated on were the three figures in the foreground. The center one was a younger Ryoga. His hair was shorter then and a bit tidier than what he now wore. The clothing for the most part was the same, except that it hung more loosely on a slightly smaller frame. The most striking difference was the large and genuine smile which lit up his whole face. The display of pure happiness looked good on the boy, and Kasumi felt the desire to see how well it fit the current Ryoga.

The couple Ryoga was wedged in between shared their son's obvious pleasure. They both wore clothes similar to Ryoga's in that they were made for wear and tear rather than for fashion. They both also sported packs rivaling Ryoga's in size.

Ryoga had obviously received most of his physical attributes from his father, who appeared to be quite a large man, towering over the other two in the photo. His eyes were brown and friendly, his hair black and untamed. Most of his face was covered in a fierce black beard which was only eclipsed by his large and heartfelt smile.

Ryoga's mother was much shorter than his father, and just a few centimeters shorter than Ryoga. Her hair was jet black, straight for the most part except for the slight curl, just above her shoulders, where it had been trimmed. She had deep black eyes, and unlike Ryoga and his father, while she was smiling, there was a subtle sense of melancholy underlying her happiness.

For the first time Kasumi realized that if Ryoga only rarely saw his parents, then his parents only rarely saw him. What must it be like to be able to see your child only a few times each year?

There were a few other pictures on the page from their time in Paris, one obviously taken by Ryoga as his parents sat across from him at an outdoor café. The other patrons were eyeing their survival gear oddly.

A photo of Ryoga and his mother standing in front of a large glass pyramid was pasted next to the last photo in the album. It was a candid picture of Ryoga's father standing alone on a bridge looking introspective.

"What are your other pictures of?" Kasumi asked. She leaned further over and turned back the page of the book revealing pictures of an even younger Ryoga.

"Well, mostly they're just of me growing up, and some of the things that I've seen."

He flipped back to the beginning of the book before Kasumi could really examine the photos on the page.

The pictures near the beginning were on the thick paper characteristic of older photographs. Kasumi recognized the couple in them as much younger versions of Ryoga's parents. His father looked much the same, but his mother's hair was longer and she had a very obvious bulge in her middle. Her expression was also unguardedly happy. Absent was the sadness which had stained her expression in the future.

The next few pictures showed a very cute and very round baby with a tuft of black hair, in various situations and states of undress.

Ryoga quickly flipped the page.

The next page was more of the same and Ryoga kept flipping, obviously wanting to reach a less embarrassing period of time. Kasumi was slightly disappointed; Ryoga had been quite a cute baby.

He finally stopped on a page with a small toddler with a tiny fang poking out from his lip. His eyes were wide, curious, and innocent. One hand was waving at the person who was holding the camera. The other was being held by a woman with long black hair tied back into a ponytail. A cigarette smoldered in her frowning mouth, and her eyes appeared flat and serious.

"That's the aunt I stayed with when I was young," Ryoga explained.

"I see," replied Kasumi. She was sure that Ryoga's aunt was a nice person, but she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of dislike for the stern-looking woman for some reason.

The rest of the pages were filled with pictures clumped in smaller and smaller groups. There were large gaps where Ryoga aged months or even years in between. In each picture Ryoga's eyes became sadder, and his smile was smaller. By the time of his picture in a middle school uniform, Ryoga stared at the camera almost accusatorily.

Again Ryoga quickly flipped through the pages before Kasumi wanted him to. The photos now changed to landscapes. Breathtaking vistas had been captured in the book, and Kasumi watched as the sun rose magnificently between the peaks of two mountains. The valley beneath them flooded with both shadow and light at the same time.

Kasumi leaned in to better examine the beautiful photo, and she heard Ryoga gulp nervously. She liked up at him questioningly and found that their faces were only centimeters apart.

Ryoga's face was flushed, his breathing shallow and rapid, and there was a look in his eyes Kasumi couldn't readily identify. Dimly she realized that the neckline of her borrowed shirt had slipped down to expose her bare shoulder.

They were so close that Kasumi could faintly smell the scent which seemed unique to Ryoga. It was earthy and strange, but not unpleasant. It made her want to get even closer, to breathe it in more deeply and completely, to figure out just what it was like.

But Ryoga abruptly slammed the book shut and awkwardly stood up, causing Kasumi to quickly move out of his way.

"Well, I'm tired," he loudly announced. "It's probably about time for me to go to bed."

"Oh," Kasumi replied hesitantly. The sudden shift from intimate moment back to normalcy had left her a little distracted. "Now that you mention it, I am feeling a little tired myself."

It was still relatively early, but perhaps the safest thing to do would be to rest. Maybe her emotions would be less confused in the morning.

"If you show me where the extra futons are kept, I can lay one out in the guest room." Kasumi offered.

A look of perplexity crossed Ryoga's face, quickly followed by dawning horror.

"I don't think we have any extra futons," he said apprehensively. "No one ever comes to visit, so we never got around to buying any spares. And the guest room is packed full of stuff my parents and I've collected. So there's really no room in there for anyone to stay anyway."

Ryoga seemed to be at a loss and on the brink of descending into self-recrimination, so Kasumi offered a solution to the problem.

"The couch downstairs seemed very large and comfortable. I could sleep there for tonight."

Ryoga turned to look at Kasumi, a fierce determination in his eyes. "The couch? Of course! But I'll be the one to sleep on it. You can use the bed here."

Not wanting to impose, Kasumi demurred, "Oh my, I don't want to force you out of your own bed Ryoga. I can just sleep downstairs."

"Kasumi," Ryoga said in a heartbreakingly earnest way. "All day today, I've been a terrible host. You went out of your way to bring me home, you were forced to clean and cook, and now I can't even offer you a decent night's sleep. Please Kasumi, as my friend, take my bed."

"Well, if you feel that strongly about it, then I guess I'll accept your generous offer."

Ryoga's face betrayed his relief at her acceptance of his hospitality. But he quickly returned to his seemingly normal embarrassed bashfulness once he stopped paying attention to what Kasumi had said, and more to her appearance.

Kasumi glanced down and noticed that her shirt was still slipped down, exposing more flesh than she was used to. She quickly jerked the shirt back up; silently vowing to pay closer attention to making sure she was decent while around Ryoga.

To cover her own embarrassment for allowing herself to be so exposed, Kasumi stood up and offered, "If you show me the way to the linen closet, I'll help you make up a bed on the couch."

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea," Ryoga's agreement was as quick as it was loud. He moved rapidly but awkwardly and made his way out the room, seeming to make sure his back was to Kasumi as much as possible.

Kasumi followed after him back downstairs and to a small door she had overlooked located just beyond the laundry room. Ryoga was acting a bit more natural, but it still seemed to Kasumi that he was trying to hide something from her. But she tried to put it out of her mind as Ryoga opened the door and bent down to sort through the stacks of cloth on a low shelf.

As he handed her back the necessary items; a pillow, blanket, and a sheet, Kasumi couldn't help but notice again just how broad Ryoga's back was. It filled up the entire frame of the doorway. She also noticed that the pants he was wearing were perhaps a little old for him. They were rather tight in certain areas. His well defined muscles shifted against their taunt fabric as he shifted to reach something else. His steely calves, solid thighs, and impeccably tight glutes mesmerized her.

"I think that's most of it," Ryoga muffledly announced, bringing Kasumi back to reality. "You go on ahead, there's something else I need to find in here," he said without turning around.

Kasumi felt a tightening in her chest. She looked down and quickly hugged the bundle of cloth she was holding tighter to her chest.

"Yes, I'll go ahead and get started on making the bed," she replied in a voice a bit higher than her normal tone.

Quickly she made her exit from the potentially embarrassing scene. The walk back to the living room was short, but it allowed her the time she needed to cool off.

She separated the sheet from the rest of the bundle and made quick work of tightly fitting it around the cushions of the large couch. As she efficiently worked, Kasumi let her mind wander back to what had just happened.

Frankly, she was surprised at herself. True she was a normal healthy girl, and from time to time had certain urges, but she had seldom had such a strong reaction to another person before, and especially not when thinking about a younger man.

Years ago she had experienced a few unrequited crushes during her school years. The two most memorable being a very handsome teacher, and a very popular upper-classman. Unfortunately by the time Kasumi had worked up the courage to even casually speak to them, much less confess her feelings, they had already discovered their love for one another and had moved to another country where they wouldn't be judged as harshly.

Kasumi frowned slightly. Hopefully Ryoga wasn't gay. Of course he had seemed rather attached to her sister, but he had also been rather strongly motivated to track Ranma down.

She sighed softly. It would be a serious blow if the third person she had ever been seriously attracted to turned out to prefer other men.

Her face suddenly flushed from the realization that her thoughts had brought her to. Was she really attracted to Ryoga? Judging by her reaction earlier, some part of her certainly was, but had it come from the fact that he simply had a great body, or was there something more to it than that?

For most of her life, Kasumi had dismissed younger boys as uninteresting boors. Older men were smarter, said more interesting things, usually were kinder, and overall just seemed deeper and more mature to her.

However, once Ranma had arrived and eventually brought Ryoga into the picture, Kasumi had come to find that younger men weren't always vapid and inexperienced braggarts.

Instead they could be kind but emotionally fragile. Unbelievably strong yet in some ways just as weak. They could be extensively traveled and knowledgeable in a rather eclectic and esoteric manner, compassionate, and tragic. With fingers which could cause boulders to explode, or be as gentle as a kitten's paw. They could even have deep brown eyes which promised to never judge you, but would instead always unquestioningly accept every facet of you. They also had thick black hair which would probably feel wonderful to run your hands through.

Abruptly Kasumi wrenched herself from the sidetrack that her mind had wandered down. Her hands had been performing on automatic pilot and had finished laying out the impromptu bed a while ago. She had just been standing there, staring into space for who knew how long.

Shirokuro was looking at her strangely and slowly, questioningly wagged her tail when Kasumi glanced her way.

Kasumi quickly looked around, but Ryoga hadn't appeared yet. Oddly the silence of the house was starting to feel oppressive to Kasumi. For a moment, she was afraid of being alone with her thoughts. Who knew where they would lead her, but she guessed that in the long run it would be someplace painful.

So she made sure the bedding was perfect, then surreptitiously checked herself to make sure that Ryoga wouldn't see anything which might cause a misunderstanding, and retraced her steps back to the linen closet.

However she found Ryoga next to the door labeled W.C., appearing conflicted.

"Did you need to use the restroom?" Kasumi asked as she approached.

Ryoga must not have heard her approaching because he started slightly when she had called out to him, and he had turned guiltily toward her.

"Um, I uh …"

Being outside the water closet, Kasumi was reminded of the clothes they had left to dry in the bathroom. They must surely be dry by now.

"Oh my, I forgot to take down the laundry," she exclaimed. "Excuse me for just a moment and I'll go see to it." She turned around and opened the door to the bathroom. The light was on, although she could have sworn that she had turned it off when she had left.

Quickly putting the matter aside, Kasumi deftly began to pluck the clothes off the line, quickly sorting them into two separate piles, one for each of them. She had made sure to discreetly tuck her underwear once again into the middle of her pile.

She nonchalantly left the bathroom and handed Ryoga his stack of clothes. For some reason he refused to meet her eyes.

"So," Kasumi awkwardly began. She wasn't quite sure why, but the atmosphere between them had become tense. "I finished making up the couch. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yeah," Ryoga said quickly. He cut his eyes towards her, but just as quickly cut them away again. "I found it. I uh, thanks. Thanks for setting up the couch. If you'll excuse me, I'm really tired."

"Oh, yes. I'm quite fatigued as well," Kasumi replied.

There was a pregnant pause as they both looked at one another before Kasumi realized that Ryoga was waiting for her to go before him. So, with her bundle of clothes securely in her grasp, she retreated down the hallway, Ryoga's heavier steps soon following after.

She glanced back at Ryoga one final time as she climbed the stairs, and found him absently watching her while apparently lost in thought. She nodded silently to him in farewell at the top of the stairs, but he didn't seem to see it.

Kasumi turned away and returned to Ryoga's bedroom. There was a desk on the opposite side of the room from the bed which had a somewhat uncluttered spot between a pair of Shishi. Kasumi sat her pile of clothes there and admired the craftsmanship of the porcelain lions.

She turned and contemplated the bed for a moment before deciding that it would probably be for the best if she slept in the loaned clothes. She hadn't brought anything more comfortable to slip into, and the thought of being bold enough to sleep in Ryoga's bed nude was positively … naughty.

For the sake of comfort however, she did loosen the drawstring on the sweatpants she was wearing. Then turned off the light and found her way in the sudden darkness back to the bed without mishap. She slid underneath the cool blankets and noticed that the sheets smelt dimly of detergent. They hadn't been cleaned that day, so they must have been cleaned when last Ryoga was there, which meant that it had been moths since the last time he had slept in his own bed.

Kasumi tossed and turned for several minutes, unused to resting in a strange bed, but eventually the calming patter of rain against the window soothed her to sleep.

If she had any dreams that night, they quickly fled and were forgotten the next morning. Kasumi's return to consciousness was languid at first. She felt so relaxed and warm between the soft sheets, and unlike her normal rest, she wasn't disturbed by the sounds of life from the rest of her family. Even on the quietest night, if your senses were as well tuned as Kasumi's, you could hear muted snoring, the occasional cough, and even the shifting of someone in their bed.

But here, all was silent. It was as if there had been a heavy snow storm insulating the room she was in from the outside world.

All too soon though, her peaceful and foggy rest gave way to full alertness. Kasumi abruptly remembered that she had spent the night at Ryoga's and became aware of a dull tingling sensation in her arm where the shirt she had been wearing had been caught beneath her, cutting off some of her circulation.

Still under the covers, Kasumi readjusted her clothes and almost mournfully opened her eyes. Aside from the uncomfortable clothes, that had been one of the most restful sleeps she had experienced in quite some time.

The vibrant morning sun shone warmly through the window, bathing the room in an almost ethereal light. In the natural light the garish colors and textures of Ryoga's collection were softly mellowed until they were no longer cheaply made tourist knickknacks, but rather stately mementos from the corners of the world.

Kasumi slipped out from beneath the warm comforter and stretched in the comparatively cool air of the room. She gazed out the window to find that the previous night's rain clouds had been replaced with the clear pale blue sky of a perfect dawn. Judging by the position of the sun it was around 7:30. It felt wonderful to sleep in so late.

With a glance at the door, to make sure it was still closed, Kasumi quickly changed from the clothes she had borrowed from Ryoga to the clothes she had cleaned the day before. She was unsure where it was best to dispose of the soiled clothing, so she carefully folded them and placed them on the clear area of the desk.

Feeling energized from her rest, Kasumi stepped out into the darkened hallway. The unfamiliar silence of the house again impressed itself upon her and she felt a quick jolt of fear.

Did the strange quiet mean that she was alone in the house? Had Ryoga gone out and become lost, leaving her alone as she struggled against the cruel world alone and without supplies?

The image of a lost and bewildered Ryoga stumbling through a snow bank without his pack of supplies or even warm clothes began to haunt her thoughts.

On silent feet she swept down the stairs and into the living room. It was dark and empty. The sheets on the couch were undisturbed from how she had arranged them last night.

It seemed as if her worst fears were confirmed, and with a fading hope she began to search the rest of the house for Ryoga.

But almost immediately her hopes were lifted when she found the light to the kitchen spilling out into the hallway. Kasumi rushed over to the door leading into the kitchen and found Ryoga sitting at the table petting Shirokuro. Behind him steam rose from a pan which was resting on the stove.

Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief and entered the kitchen at a more sedate pace. As she walked in, Ryoga looked up, smiling at her, and Kasumi found that his eyes had turned gold and intense once again.

"Good morning!" he said, fully meaning it.

Kasumi was slightly discombobulated by Ryoga's expression and hesitantly replied, "Oh, good morning Ryoga."

Ryoga's eyes seemed to linger for several seconds on Kasumi before he stood up and walked to the stove to attend to the pan.

"I hope that a western style breakfast is alright."

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble just for me," Kasumi replied. She took a few steps forward and leaned over Ryoga's shoulder to find him in the midst of preparing eggs. There was already sausage and toast arranged on two plates, and as Kasumi watched, Ryoga transported the finished eggs from the pan to the plates to complete the meal.

"It wasn't any trouble at all," Ryoga said. "Besides, you're worth any trouble."

He turned around with a plate in each hand, and his eyes locked with hers. Kasumi felt as if an electrical circuit had just connected them. The pulse of energy raced through her entire body and Kasumi took an involuntary step forward, quickly losing her ability to focus on anything other than Ryoga's face.

The moment was broken when what Ryoga had said finally registered with his brain. His eyes opened wide in alarm and his words began to tumble over one another in an effort to explain what he had meant.

"Uh, what I mean is that I'm a pretty tough guy who can take a lot of punishment to repay a favor. Um, not that I'm implying that what I did was hard, I just wanted to do something nice for you because you're special to me. Special like a friend; a good friend …"

Ryoga trailed off into silence, a strange and wistful, yet frightened expression crossed his face. He quickly hid his discomfort by walking to the table and setting the two plates down, turning his back to her. He then turned and retrieved two glasses from a nearby cabinet, as well as a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator. Kasumi was relieved since his actions hid the blush she felt on her own face.

Bashfully she joined Ryoga at the table as he poured the fresh juice into the glasses and set them next to the plates of the wonderful looking breakfast.

However, Kasumi was a bit confused. "I didn't think that we had any fresh ingredients," she commented.

"Yeah we didn't. But I wanted to make a breakfast this morning out of something more than instant miso, to partially repay you for all that you've done for me. So I went out to the store this morning and picked up a few things."

"You went out to the store earlier?"

Ryoga's expression betrayed his confusion. Which didn't stop him from continuing to lift the first bite of breakfast to his mouth.

"Yes, to get the eggs and other fresh ingredients," he said after he had swallowed the bit of fluffy eggs.

"And how far away is the store?" Kasumi innocently asked.

"About four blocks away."

"And you didn't get lost?"

"No. I … no I didn't," Ryoga said casually at first, but ending in a musing tone of voice.

"Maybe you remember the way from when you were growing up," Kasumi suggested.

"No, I couldn't have," Ryoga said still thoughtfully. "They built the store only a few years ago. I've been there two or three times, but not enough to instinctually know my way."

"But you managed to walk there and back again without getting lost last night," Kasumi thought out loud. "But yesterday you were still affected by your directionlessness. So what changed between then and now?"

"I can't really think of anything," Ryoga confessed. "Last night, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about something." He guiltily glanced at Kasumi. "So after a while I started to do a bit of meditation. I did a lot of thinking, about my past, my memories, my emotions, the reasons why I acted the way that I have. But mostly I thought about how I was blind, and about how much I had wished and hoped to see again.

"Then, a few hours ago, I got tired of all that introspection and I got a bit restless. But it was still in the middle of the night, so there wasn't much I could do. I did notice that my sight had gone weird again."

"How so?" Kasumi asked.

"Well, you remember how right after I got my sight back I thought I was seeing things? When I said I could see a glow around everything?"

Kasumi nodded her head. At the time she had been certain that Ryoga's eyes had changed colors, but afterwards she had ascribed it to a trick of the light.

"Last night, or this morning I guess, it happened again. But this time it was kind of different. Or maybe it was the same, but I just didn't notice last time because there was so much to see.

"It was strange, all the lights were off downstairs, but it wasn't truly dark. I could clearly see everything around me thanks to the light Shirokuro and I were giving off. I could even see the light you have, through the walls and floor.

"But the really weird thing I noticed was that all of our lights were different. And I'm not sure I can explain just how they were. It wasn't just that they were slightly different colors, or that they were brighter or dimmer than one another. There was just something …"

Ryoga trailed off, staring into the distance, searching for the right words.

"It's as if they all felt different, like they vibrated or something. It was that feeling, that vibration, that caused me to notice the trails."

Kasumi had sampled the breakfast Ryoga had prepared, but her curiosity had driven away the rest of her hunger. She pushed her plate away and leaned forward to ask, "Trails?"

"Yeah." Ryoga still seemed lost in someplace distant. "I guess that's the best way to describe them. They're real faint, but they're kind of like these tiny guidelines in the air that match the color of people or animals. They're all mingled together, but I'm pretty sure they show the path that people have taken."

He looked behind Kasumi and focused on something. Involuntarily Kasumi turned in her seat to see what had caught Ryoga's attention, but nothing was there.

"Like right now, even in this light, I can see your trail coming into this room, several actually, but there is one brighter than the others. I think it's the most recent."

Kasumi had to take his word for it because she still couldn't see anything like what Ryoga was describing. She turned back around to find that he was intently studying her as if searching for something. Ryoga lapsed into silence and wearily rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"So you discovered these trails …" Kasumi led.

"Yes." He cradled his head in his hand. "There were many of them, all wound around one another like pieces of yarn. They were all of different colors and intensities. Yours was the easiest to find, it's white and very bright. Shirokuro's is a sort of dull pinkish color that fades quickly, and mine is a sort of mix of green and purple. I don't think I can explain how they mix together, but it's a very distinctive color."

Ryoga softly sighed and raised his head. In the bright morning light, Kasumi noticed that his eyes had returned to their normal brown color, without even a speck of gold. Not that there was anything wrong with brown. She thought that the humble tone better suited his handsome face. The gold was exotic, but rather jarring when it was found in a face that was becoming as familiar to Kasumi as her own.

"Anyway," Ryoga wearily picked up the tale again. He frowned in exhaustion. The night of meditation must not have been as restful as a night of sleep would have been. "I noticed that there were still other colors, so I decided to see where they went. I was kind of bored and a little amazed, so it seemed like a good idea at the time." His voice turned rueful. "It wasn't until you mentioned it just now that I realized how stupid I was acting."

Ryoga fisted a yawn. "The trails led me all over the house, and eventually one of them took me outside. I followed it to the convenience store that was just then opening, and then I followed the trail that I had made to get back home. You pretty much know the rest of the story."

He yawned again and sheepishly said, "Sorry. For some reason I suddenly feel so tired."

Kasumi waved away his apology. "Oh that's alright. You didn't sleep at all last night; it's understandable that you're tired. But isn't this wonderful news? You could use this ability to overcome your sense of direction!"

The thought had obviously never fully crossed Ryoga's mind. In equal parts surprise, hope, and weariness, he asked, "Do you really think so?"

Kasumi had of course noticed Ryoga's rapidly declining state and replied, "I do. But I think that maybe before we test out your new ability, you should get some sleep first."

"But if I can really …" Ryoga began almost petulantly. He interrupted himself with an even larger yawn than before. One which caused his jaw to audibly pop. Sheepishly he said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to get a little rest."

Acting out of an instinct that might have been maternal, Kasumi lightly grasped Ryoga by the elbow and led him upstairs to his room, where she saw him safely to bed.

"I don't know why I feel so tired," he complained as he laid his head down.

"Too much exercise and not enough sleep, as usual," Kasumi diagnosed.

Ryoga smiled wryly.

Kasumi closed the blinds on the window, still sunlight bled around the corners and through the irregular gaps, casting the room into a dim twilight. She turned to leave the room, but as she had almost reached the door, Ryoga called out, "You'll be here when I wake up right?"

Kasumi turned around to find Ryoga leaning up and beseechingly staring at her. She answered the only way she could.

"Of course."

Ryoga smiled and laid back down, closing his eyes.

Kasumi left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She returned to the kitchen where she cleared the table of the breakfast that she and Ryoga had only partially eaten.

The sun soon rose over the tops of the neighboring houses and cast warm rectangles of light through the many windows of the Hibiki house. Kasumi slipped through them on her way to return the linens she had used to make Ryoga's bed last night to the linen closet.

As she went, she noticed that Shirokuro had managed to open the sliding glass door to the backyard and was outside lying in the middle of the untrimmed lawn, soaking in the sunlight.

After Kasumi had returned the unused sheets to the linen closet, she found herself at a loss as to what she should do with herself. So she sat down on the large couch in the living room to contemplate her options.

Breakfast had been made and served. The kitchen, indeed the whole house, had been cleaned already. There weren't enough dirty clothes to justify running the washing machine. To be honest, there weren't any more household chores for Kasumi to do.

Usually when she had some free time at home, she would spend it reading, or going out to do a bit of light shopping. But the only books she had noticed in the Hibiki home had been a set of old elementary textbooks in Ryoga's room. And she didn't really feel comfortable going out and shopping while Ryoga was asleep. What if he woke up and needed her?

Of course, if she were being honest, she should have already been on her way home. With the wonderfully clear weather, the trains must be running again, and her family was no doubt missing her. Kasumi's obligation in getting Ryoga home was fulfilled. However, for some reason, she just didn't feel like going home at that moment.

Even though she felt somewhat uncomfortable at being left alone in a stranger's house, she felt even more uncomfortable abandoning Ryoga and returning to her normal life. Safe and secure in a set schedule with an occasional visit from Ryoga once or twice a month for only a few minutes at a time.

The thought of things going back to normal saddened Kasumi. After having Ryoga as such a central part of her life for so long, it felt wrong that they should be separated back into their own lives, having to meet each other for only a few fleeting moments.

Sudden inspiration struck Kasumi. Ryoga had lost all of his supplies in the landslide, and from what Kasumi had seen; he didn't seem to have a spare traveling backpack to rely upon. How could anyone expect him to survive in the wide and unforgiving world without adequate supplies?

Surely it would be alright to stay long enough to guide the lost boy to the nearest camping store to make sure that he was properly outfitted. That would buy her a few more hours to spend with Ryoga before they had to separate again.

But it wasn't fair to the rest of her family to be gone for so long. Especially since the trip had been supposed to last only a few hours in the first place.

Kasumi reluctantly decided that she would take Ryoga out shopping as soon as he woke up. After that, she would return home.

She settled back deeper into the comfortable couch and watched the lazy dust motes dance across the rays of light streaming in through a nearby window.

There was also Ryoga's newfound ability to be considered. What if he really was able to follow some sort of guidelines created by others? Could it really be a cure for his sense of direction? They could use the shopping trip as a test of his new ability. Once he had been properly equipped, they could test out whether or not he would be able to find his way from one place to another without her help. It would be wonderful if he could, and if he couldn't, well it would be no different if he got lost then, or a little while after that when she had to return home.

But it would be so wonderful if he finally managed to settle down and begin to lead a semblance of a normal life. It would make meeting with him so much easier.

Although there was a part of Kasumi which hoped that Ryoga didn't become too settled. She loved to hear of his far flung travels, and it might be selfish, but she felt it would be sad if his exiting stories became the same boring tales everyone else had.

The dust motes glowing in the sunlight were rather hypnotic as they floated in the air. They twisted and turned as the first fell and then suddenly shot up from the updraft created by the warm floor. Only to slowly fall downwards once more, before turning invisible at the edge of the bright light.

In Kasumi's mind they transformed from near invisible specks into swirling flurries of snow. Falling thickly but not too heavily on a wide frozen plain. It was late evening and the full moon far overhead cast a cold light down on the scene, revealing the thick and imposing forest in the distance, turned into a dark line of uniform lumps of snow. Beyond them were the sheer sides of the mountains, in between which the field was nestled, and down whose slopes came the occasional icy gale.

In the center of the field of snow, hewn from the nearby dark forest, was a modest cottage. Its details had been erased by the snow blanketing it, but it had two stories, the fact revealed by the windows of both being brightly lit. The chimney which sharply jutted out from the soft snow gave off a steady stream of smoke which disappeared into the night sky.

Somehow Kasumi knew whoever was in that cottage was safe, warm, and wonderfully happy. Distantly she thought that she could hear a deep and satisfied laughter coming from the cabin. A laughter which seemed achingly familiar, yet at the same time slightly strange to her ears.

She tried to step forward, to get closer and peer through the frost covered windows, to see the joyous scene she knew must be going on inside the cabin, but then she woke up.

Kasumi must have fallen into a light sleep. A cool breeze blew in from the open back door and carried the remnants of her dream away.

The sun had risen much higher in the sky, shortening the rectangles of light on the floor until they had almost disappeared completely. It was rapidly approaching noon.

Kasumi sat still for a moment and listened, but the house was as still and quiet as it had been when she had first sat down. The only sound she could hear was the distant laughter of children playing drifting in through the open door.

She stood up and shook the wrinkles from her dress, then climbed the stairs back up to Ryoga's room. She silently opened the door and leaned in.

Ryoga was lying on his back, one of his arms thrown across his face to ward off the invading light. In the past few hours he must have found his shirt constricting. It was puddle on the ground near the bed and the thrown back blanket revealed his well defined chest. It rose and fell in a slow and soothing rhythm.

The room felt very warm and stuffy to Kasumi. Felling embarrassed over her intrusion, Kasumi withdrew. But as she was closing the door, she heard a mumbled "Kasumi."

She paused and in a voice which surprised her by its steadiness she replied, "Yes?"

"What time is it?" Ryoga slurred out.

"Nearly noon."

Ryoga grunted and then decided, "Guess I should get out of bed then."

Kasumi heard the rustling of sheets from Ryoga's room and hurriedly called out, "Take your time getting ready. I thought that we could go out and do some shopping this afternoon if you're up for it."

Ryoga grunted in acknowledgement.

"Well then, I'll wait for you downstairs." Kasumi closed the door and let out a sigh. For what, she wasn't sure.

The muted rustling of cloth faded as Kasumi went back downstairs.

She sat down in one of the chairs flanking the couch in the living room, but after only a few moments, she stood up again. She aimlessly began to examine the various mementos scattered around the room.

Kasumi was listless, full of nervous, anticipatory energy. It was the first time in several years that she had felt this way. The last being when she had been quite a young girl, the day of a local festival that she had been excitedly waiting to go to for an entire week.

She couldn't stand, much less sit still. With unseeing eyes and unknowing fingers she turned a small statuette end over end.

But when she heard Ryoga's heavy tread on the stairs, she surprisingly found herself reluctant to turn around and face him.

"Sorry I slept so long," Ryoga said through a yawn.

Kasumi braced herself and turned to find Ryoga looking at her blankly through heavily lidded brown eyes.

He had once again dressed in his normal traveling clothes, albeit ones much brighter and less worn than the outfit that he had lost.

He had even replaced the bandanna he had habitually worn. Although it appeared to be different than his usual one, this one lacked the black pattern of the old one. Abruptly Kasumi recognized it as the ribbon she had been using the previous day to hold back her hair in a ponytail. She had removed it during their mad dash through the rain when she had felt it coming loose. She had put it in the pocket of her dress for safe keeping, but had forgotten about it. It must have fallen out of her dress when she had been changing clothes.

Kasumi almost spoke up to tell Ryoga about his mistake, but held back at the last second.

A part of her felt good that Ryoga was wearing something of hers, like there was a piece of her staying with him.

Besides, what if Ryoga hadn't picked the ribbon up by accident? What if he had intentionally decided to wear it knowing full well that it was hers?

The thought made Kasumi smile radiantly. Ryoga saw something in her face and it appeared that the last vestiges of sleep were driven from him as his eyes opened wide. Although he quickly cut his now alert eyes shyly from her face.

"S-so, you said you wanted to go do some shopping?" he stuttered nervously.

"Yes," Kasumi eagerly replied. "I was thinking that we could go out and replace the things that you'd lost in that landslide accident."

Ryoga's face hardened into resignation at the remembrance. "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." With a sigh he walked towards the front door and out of Kasumi's sight.

She followed him out of the room and found him nonchalantly removing several 5,000 yen notes from the drawer in the small table in the entryway.

Apparently Ryoga's mother's paranoia wasn't completely unfounded.

Ryoga folded the thick stack of bills and slipped them into his pants pocket while shutting the drawer. He turned and sadly smiled at Kasumi's questioning look.

"This isn't the first time one of us has lost everything they own. Keeping some cash around makes it easier to get by while waiting for the new government documents and access to the bank accounts again."

He stepped down the step into his shoes and then asked, "Well, shall we get going?"

"Oh my, of course," Kasumi replied. She belatedly walked forward and put on her own shoes. They were still quite damp from yesterday and unpleasantly cold and clammy. But they were her only pair, so they would have to do.

Ryoga held open the front door for her, and Kasumi walked past him, her shoes quietly squelching as she went out into the warm and bright sunlight. The day was as pleasant as the morning had promised.

Ryoga locked the door after them and slipped the key into his pocket.

"Aren't you going to put that back under the urn in case your parents misplace their keys?"

Ryoga shrugged. "Nah. If that happens, they can just go through the backdoor."

Kasumi was a bit puzzled. "So you lock the front door, but leave the back door open? " Ryoga nodded. "And your mother sets up booby traps to keep the burglars away?"

"That's more of her hobby than an anti-theft system."

"But aren't you worried about the house being broken into?"

Again Ryoga shrugged good naturedly. "Of course. But I'm more worried about Shirokuro being able to get outside. Besides, even if someone stole our stuff, they're just things. The memories that go along with them are what's important and those can't be stolen."

Kasumi was impressed by the depth of Ryoga's simple statement. It was strange that in some ways he was so mature, but in others he was so childish.

"So, where are we going?" Kasumi asked Ryoga with a smile.

He considered the problem for a moment before replying, "Well there is a store that sells camping equipment in the shopping district near the station. Or at least there used to be one there. I go by there usually about once or twice a year."

"I see. I remember the way to the station, and from there it shouldn't be too difficult to find."

Kasumi confidently led the way out of the small yard and into the street. Ryoga followed after her at a familiar distance.

All the houses they passed were fairly modern with cement walls separating them from the narrow road. All the gates were closed and the blinds were drawn over the houses' windows. Kasumi and Ryoga were the only ones in the street, making the whole neighborhood seem artificial and desolate.

In fact they didn't come across any other signs of life until several streets later when they found themselves in front of them train station once again.

There was a sizable crowd of people going into and coming out of the station, as well as milling around the several small shops tucked into the station's shadow. It was as if everyone who belonged to the silent houses earlier had decided to come and congregate here.

Kasumi stopped uncertainly, not sure which way to go from there. Ryoga came to stand next to her and she almost asked him the way. But she quickly remembered that directions from Ryoga, or any Hibiki it seemed, were probably going to be incorrect.

Instead she decided to follow the clumps of people who were leaving the station who seemed to be moving in the same general direction together.

Ryoga once again fell into step slightly behind her. Trusting Kasumi, who had never been there before, to lead him around his own neighborhood.

It seemed like Kasumi's instincts had paid off. As they walked, they passed a few cafés, then a few restaurants, and then several stores selling a wide variety of fresh foods. Intermixed with these were an eclectic mix of electronics boutiques, bookstores, and stores which seemed to sell a bit of everything. The road they walked down eventually turned and on the other side of the bend Ryoga called out, "There it is."

He pointed past Kasumi at a store whose long window was completely obscured by bicycles. Outside was a stand of dozens of bicycles meant for speed, while inside a curtain of mountain bikes hung from the ceiling. Above the open door was a much weathered sign which proclaimed, "Nobu's."

With the goal in such obvious proximity, this time it was Ryoga who led the way across the busy street. His bulky frame caused people to stand aside, creating a wake in the tide of people for Kasumi to follow in.

Compared to the brilliant sunlight outside, the interior of the store was dim. It took Kasumi's eyes a few seconds to adjust to the transition after they had stepped through the door.

She found that the inside of the store was full of things familiar to her, as well as things she had never before seen. Hanging from the walls was everything ranging from backpacks, to bicycle parts, to tents, skis, and coils of rope.

The middle of the store was taken up by several aisles made up of shelves packed with everything from oil to pots and pans to hiking boots and strange metal rods whose packaging promised that they'd reliably start a fire. The shelves came up to Ryoga's shoulders, meaning that if Kasumi stood on her toes she could easily see over the tops of them.

In the rear of the store, lost amongst the overwhelming clutter, a young man sat behind a glass counter reading a magazine. He glanced at them without any recognition or interest before turning back to his magazine. Kasumi supposed that was his way of saying, "Welcome to the store, try not to steal anything or make me work too hard."

As soon as they had entered the store, Ryoga had made a beeline for the multitude of backpacks hanging from the wall furthest from the store's entrance. There was a wide variety offered, from small ones suitable for school, to massive ones which came with their own metal frame. They came in several colors as well: black, brown, tan, red, white, beige, and many more.

The red one caught Kasumi's eye briefly. It was very vibrant and easily stood out. It was probably designed to make finding it easier. But Kasumi didn't really feel like that would be the color she would choose if she were picking a backpack out for herself. It was much too flashy. Perhaps Nabiki would appreciate it.

No. If Kasumi were choosing one for herself, she would probably go with one of the light tan ones. She reached out and tested the material with her thumb and finger, finding it to be densely woven and surprisingly soft to the touch.

"I think this one will do," Ryoga decided. He pulled down a brown bag that was much larger than the one Kasumi had been examining.

He held it in one hand as he moved over to the section for tents. He barely paused this time before choosing one which was little more than a tarp and a few hollow aluminum rods.

Kasumi trailed after him as he began to walk up and down the aisles selecting items with an expert's eye and placing them into the backpack.

It was interesting to Kasumi how comfortable and efficient Ryoga was in choosing supplies. It was as if he had a list memorized of all the available product options, and he already knew which were essential for survival and which were useless to him. Not really having anything she could do to help him with his shopping, Kasumi idly examined some of the products the store had for sale.

Her attention was caught by a complex looking set of plastic and metal cylinders connected to one another. There was a pump handle on one end and a mass of hoses on the other. Kasumi picked it up to better examine the strange object and it fell apart in her hands.

With a clatter the bottom of the cylinder fell away, spilling out metal and rubber washers as well as plastic wrapped packages.

Hastily Kasumi looked over toward the counter where the cashier was sitting, but he continued to flip through his magazine, uninteresting in whatever Kasumi was doing.

Kasumi gathered up the separated pieces and put them back together in the order that she was fairly certain they had been in. When she finished, the contraption looked like it had before she had picked it up. Carefully she set it back down.

"Water purifiers huh," Ryoga commented from close by. Kasumi's hear sped up from surprise and she jumped slightly. She had been so intent on putting back to right that she had missed Ryoga's approach.

He was standing close to her, the now bulging backpack hanging from one shoulder, the tent and a bedroll tucked under an arm.

Ryoga set his burdens down and picked up the device that Kasumi had just put back together.

"I have to admit, these are pretty handy," he said while expertly disassembling the machine. "They don't leave the aftertaste like the tablets do, but carrying extra cleaning elements can be a pain." He switched around a few of the washers and seals and began to reassemble the purifier. "Besides, these take up a lot of room and are heavier than tablets. When you're halfway up a mountainside, you're counting every gram that you're carrying with you."

He set the device back down, then he hesitated and a haunted look overtook him. His hand skipped over a few similar water purifiers and he grabbed several blister packs of tablets that he tossed into his backpack.

Ryoga turned away from Kasumi to pick up his burdens again and when he had turned back, his face had returned to its normally pleasant demeanor.

"I think that I've got everything I need," he said. "I'm ready to go. Unless there's something you wanted to look at."

"Oh no, we can leave."

Together they approached the counter with its apathetic attendant who cocked an eyebrow at their approach.

"Did you find everything you needed?" the clerk asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, I think so," Ryoga replied. He set the tent and bedroll down on the counter. They were quickly joined by the things Ryoga began to pull out of the backpack.

Without any undue haste the clerk began to ring up the items Ryoga had selected.

Several minutes and world weary sighs later and Ryoga was separated from several of the 5,000 yen bills he had picked up earlier.

As they stepped back into the bright sunlight, Kasumi came to the conclusion that she would probably have to buy a new pair of shoes. The ones she was wearing weren't any dryer than they had been that morning. But they had warmed up considerably and felt extremely unpleasant. She really wasn't looking forward to much more walking in their present condition.

Looking around she spied a small restaurant nearby.

"It's past noon," she commented. "Are you hungry Ryoga?"

He cocked his head to the side in contemplation and replied, "Now that you mention it, yeah I am."

"Oh, well there's a charming looking restaurant just over there." Kasumi pointed it out. "Let's stop in there and have lunch."

"Sounds good to me." Ryoga adjusted the straps of his new pack to accommodate the tent and bedroll, as well as to make it rest better against his back.

They walked the few dozen steps to the restaurant and ducked under the split cloth covering the entrance.

The restaurant was long and narrow. A row of tables ran along the right wall and a kitchen, surrounded by a raised bar, ran the length of the left. Only a narrow aisle separated the two.

Almost all of the tables were filled, as well as about half of the bar seats. No doubt the customers had been lured in by the enticing aromas which washed over Kasumi as she stepped inside.

One of the chefs called out a greeting without lifting his head from the several dishes he was preparing behind the counter.

Kasumi paused in the entrance, unsure whether to sit at a table or at the bar. However, Ryoga quickly solved this dilemma by walking past her and straight to the counter. He took off his pack and leaned it against the counter, then climbed into one of the high seats.

Kasumi followed him and took the seat to his right.

Above the area were the cooks were laboring away was a board listing all the dishes the restaurant served, as well as their prices. It seemed like fairly standard fare: udon, yakisoba, curry.

Kasumi had only a few moments to contemplate the menu before one of the cooks set a huge and aromatically steaming bowl in front of a customer a few seats over from Ryoga. He then turned his attention to Ryoga and Kasumi and asked, "So, what would you like?"

Without hesitation Ryoga answered, "A water and an order of gyūdon please."

The cook's attention shifted to Kasumi who hadn't even begun to think about what she should order.

So without thinking Kasumi said, "I'll have an order of gyūdon as well." While she spoke she caught sight of a refrigerator case behind the cook which held several shelves of brightly colored bottles. On a whim Kasumi continued her order. "And could I have a bottle of the Strawberry Ramune as well?"

The cook didn't bother writing anything down, he merely grunted in acknowledgement of their order and turned his attention back to the large grill that had several other customer's orders simmering upon it. The clicks and clanks of the metallic utensils impacting the metal skillet mingled with the hiss of food over high heat, as well as the omnipresent murmur of the several conversations laid over one another, rendering them all unintelligible.

Kasumi's feet still felt gross, but slightly better than they had been a few minutes earlier.

She glanced over at Ryoga's profile. He was intently reading the label on the squat bottle of soy sauce next to the cup holding several pairs of disposable chopsticks placed on the counter between them.

"So did you really get everything that you needed?" she asked.

Ryoga turned to her with a contemplative look. "Mostly. I got all the main essentials, so I should be okay. I do need to get a few clothes from home for the colder climates though. There aren't too many places around here selling winter clothes this time of year. Aside from that, I'm just missing a few personal items, and a few things you can only get from certain places, like a replacement for my umbrella."

"I see," commented Kasumi.

The meaty fists of the cook thunked down in front of Kasumi and Ryoga, then withdrew, leaving behind Ryoga's glass of water and Kasumi's soda.

Kasumi turned to thank the man, but his head was already intently bent back over the food.

Ryoga sipped at his water and Kasumi broke the plastic seal on her bottle of soda. She wasn't even sure why she had ordered it. While Nabiki still drank it from time to time, Kasumi hadn't purchased a bottle for herself in years.

There was just something about being out with Ryoga which made her feel impulsive, and maybe even a bit younger. Or maybe it was the knowledge that their time together was rapidly coming to a close, so she was trying something out of the ordinary to make memories of their time together that would last.

As she used the plunger to pop the marble down into the bottle, Kasumi mentally shrugged and decided to just live for the moment. She sipped at her soda and the lightly sweetened taste filled her mouth.

"So Kasumi," began Ryoga hesitantly. "Do you, um, have other friends, like me?"

Kasumi was befuddled by Ryoga's strange and seemingly random question. But she smiled at him nonetheless as she replied, "Of course. There's you, Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyou, Moose, Dr. Tofu, Mrs. Seito at the grocers ..."

Ryoga weakly waved his hand and cut her off.

"That's not exactly what I meant. I mean, do you have other _friend_ friends?" He turned away from her and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "You know, friends like, well, like us." He nervously cut his eyes back toward her.

This time it was Kasumi who broke eye contact. She studied the condensation on the glass bottle in her hands and absently wiped a streak through it with her thumb.

"No, not really," she said. "Not like you."

Ryoga blushed and broke into an uncontrollable grin. "Oh really," he said loudly. "That's good to know."

Anything else he was going to say was lost as the cook loudly placed two large ceramic bowls in front of Kasumi and Ryoga. Steam was rising from the beef, but that didn't stop Ryoga from diving in as soon as he had broken apart a pair of chopsticks and given out a perfunctory "itadakimasu." Kasumi followed Ryoga's actions at a much slower pace. Truthfully she was only somewhat hungry.

By the time Ryoga had finished off the last few grains of rice form his bowl, Kasumi had picked away only a third of hers. Ryoga sighed in contentment, then looked over in concern at Kasumi's largely untouched bowl.

"Are you feeling alright?" he compassionately asked.

"Yes, it's just that the portions they serve here are so large that I can't finish it all," Kasumi excused herself.

She pushed to food away and leaned forward, having decided to breach the subject of their talk earlier in the morning.

"You know Ryoga, I was thinking about what you had said earlier, about your new ability. About how you can follow the trails of people, and even your own." She hesitated for a moment before plunging forward. "Well I was thinking that we could try and test it, to see if you could use it to find your way around."

Ryoga seemed excited for a moment, but then his face fell. "But I'm not certain how to get my eyes to see that way. The times it's happened so far I just sorta wake up and it's there."

Kasumi thought for a moment. "Earlier you said that you had been meditating. Maybe that had something to do with it."

"Hm. I was meditating about my injury and about how desperately I had wished for my eyes to get better," Ryoga said thoughtfully.

"That must be it," Kasumi said eagerly. "Ryoga, try to think the way you did this morning!"

"Alright, I'll try."

He leaned forward over the counter; his eyes closed tightly, his arms crossed across his chest. He frowned in concentration. Kasumi watched with rapt attention. She was rewarded when after a minute or two Ryoga opened his eyes and looked back at her with gold irises.

"Did it work?" she anxiously asked.

"Yeah. Wow." Ryoga replied. He squinted in concentration for a moment, then opened his eyes wide. "Oh yeah, I can see them now. Wow, there must be hundreds, maybe thousands."

"But you can pick out your own right?"

"Y-yeah," said Ryoga after a pregnant pause.

"Good. Now then, I was thinking that I could go ahead and walk back to your house, while you wait here a few minutes. Then you can try to follow your trail home, and if that doesn't work, you can use mine since it will be fresher and easier to see."

She gestured toward his new backpack.

"And if it doesn't work, at least you have everything you need to survive. Right?" She smiled reassuringly up at him. "But just think if it does work, you'll be able to go to the store and back home after I leave this afternoon."

Ryoga's face betrayed his surprise as he quickly turned to Kasumi.

"You're leaving?" He smacked himself in the forehead. "I'm sorry, of course you're leaving. You need to go back home." The last part he said almost to himself.

Ryoga slumped forward and his face, indeed his whole body took on a melancholic air.

Kasumi didn't want to leave like this. If the experiment worked out, then she would see him again in a few minutes. But if it didn't, then it might be week, or even months before she saw Ryoga again. A part of her wanted to lean forward and hug Ryoga and never let him go again. Their time together was fun, pleasant, and occasionally awkward. But when they were together Ryoga didn't sink into the bouts of depression that he normally did, and Kasumi didn't feel the yawning pit of loss that threatened to swallow her.

But she did need to go home. She had to let Ryoga stand on his own two feet.

Acting on instinct Kasumi leaned forward and placed a feathery light kiss on Ryoga's cheek.

"Come find me," she beseeched him.

Kasumi then slipped down off her chair and quickly left the restaurant. She didn't turn back because she wasn't sure she could bear to see how Ryoga had reacted to her intimacy. She also didn't want to him to see the blush she could feel burning her cheeks or the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

Mindful of the people around her, Kasumi dried her eyes with the sleeve of her dress and slowed her pace down to one more appropriate for an afternoon stroll. The walk back seemed longer without Ryoga's reassuring bulk nearby. The streets were still desolate as Kasumi walked through them, with the exception of a lonely car slowly passing by her.

Eventually she found herself in front of the gate leading into Ryoga's yard. She walked through and saw that Shirokuro had taken up a spot on the cement slab in front of the door. Her ears perked up and her tail started to wag when Kasumi entered the yard. Kasumi walked up the short pat and sat down on the raised area next to Shirokuro. The dog leaned over and rested her head on Kasumi's thigh as Kasumi began to absently scratch the area behind Shirokuro's ear.

For several insufferably long minutes they sat there, waiting.

A slight breeze ruffled the sundrenched and wildly growing plants, causing them to wave to and fro.

It was as if the afternoon sighed with Kasumi. She rested her head on her unoccupied hand, braced against her knee, as she contemplated one of the plant's buds on the cusp of blooming into a flower. As it swayed in the breeze, it seemed like such a delicate thing, so fragile and easily destroyed before it could transform and declare itself to the world.

Kasumi's thoughts were broken when Shirokuro excitedly sat up and wagged her tail quite energetically. A moment later and Ryoga's familiar form appeared at the gate.

Until that moment, deep in her heart, Kasumi had held onto her doubts about Ryoga's new ability and the possibility of it triumphing over his directional difficulties. But as she leapt to her feet, unable and unwilling to hide her brilliant smile, the doubt was eradicated and in its place a tiny seed of hope appeared. She started forward, but Ryoga, wearing the largest and most genuine smile she had ever seen on his face, practically tore the gate open and covered the distance between them in a second.

"It worked! It worked!" he cried.

He jubilantly embraced Kasumi around her waist and effortlessly lifted her up and excitedly spun them around in a circle. Shirokuro was caught up in the excitement and began to run circles around them as well. Ryoga's joy and the feeling of flying in the safety of his arms caused Kasumi to spontaneously laugh out-loud.

Ryoga set her down on her feet again, his face flushed and his golden eyes bright and alive. He drew closer to Kasumi and fervently said, "It's all thanks to you. If you hadn't figured out …"

She demurred, "Oh, I didn't do much. Really Ryoga, you're amazing for being able to develop such an ability."

His eyes were shining brightly with excitement and a thousand other emotions which Kasumi would have liked to catalogued, no matter how long it took. But all too soon a shock of realization shot through Ryoga, Kasumi could feel it in the stiffness of his embrace and could see it in the dimming of his eyes. Slowly, as if she were made of delicate porcelain he let go of her. The sun seemed dimmer and the day colder without his embrace.

With self-recriminating eyes Ryoga reached down to pet the still exuberant Shirokuro and calm her down a little bit.

Kasumi smiled sadly at the domestically picturesque scene, at a loss as to why Ryoga's mood had so suddenly soured.

"Well, since our experiment was a success, I guess it's time I should be going home," she announced with painfully false cheer.

Ryoga sadly met her eyes. "Yeah, I guess there's nothing else to keep you here." He looked down and petted Shrioku's head a final time before straightening and mournfully saying, "I'll walk you back to the station."

Kasumi bashfully nodded in acceptance of his offer, and a few moments later the two were back out on the street retracing their steps. They walked in companionable silence. On the way they were passed by a group of children playfully shouting and chasing one another.

There was so much Kasumi wanted to say to Ryoga, but she didn't know how best to say it. She wanted to tell him how relieved she was that not only had he regained his sight, but had in part overcome his directionlessism. How she was proud of him for giving up the shi shi hokoden. She especially wanted to tell him how much she would miss having him around the house, and how she wished he lived a little closer.

But every time she tried to say something, it just wouldn't come out.

This time the trip took only a few brief seconds, or so it seemed to Kasumi. Before she was ready for it, she was standing in front of the ticket machine, purchasing a ticket, while Ryoga was taking the opportunity to purchase a new pass to replace the one he had lost. They had arrived just in time. The next train with a stop in Nerima was leaving in five minutes.

They hurried through the turnstiles and down the flight of stairs which led to the platform. There they joined the crowed where were also awaiting the train's arrival.

The wait was anxious but short, for the train arrived early. Too early.

Amidst the bustle of people getting off and on, it appeared as if Ryoga had suddenly remembered something. He dug into his pack and removed a package of pens. He tore it open and then uncapped one and started to quickly write something on the back of a receipt he had pulled from his pocket.

"Here," he said with a smile. He thrust the receipt at Kasumi. "This is my home phone number. Call me when you get back. I promise that I'll be there."

Kasumi took the narrow strip of paper and glanced down at it for a moment before snatching the pen from Ryoga's hand. She wrote a string of numbers down and tore the receipt in half, giving part of it back along with his pen.

"And there's my home phone number. Just in case."

Ryoga gingerly held the piece of paper as if it would crumble into dust at any moment, his face a mixture of joy and surprise.

The tone signaling that the train was about to depart rang out and Kasumi hurriedly slipped onto the crowded train, just before the doors closed. Ryoga waved at her and she waved back as the train began to move. Kasumi leaned her head against the glass window of the door and watched as Ryoga's figure grew smaller and smaller, still waving.

* * *

A/N

Again thanks to Red Dragonfly for editing this and making it suck much less than it did. (I seem to need to learn how to hyphen and when not to hyphen)

An thanks to KaguraTheWindGypsy, FantomoDrako, FlareX3, James Birdsong, Lucyole, and everyone else who has commented on the story thus far, reviews are always great. (Thank you too Umm, even if you didn't enjoy it. At least you left a comment.)

So, guess who isn't dead, but is unemployed again. That's right me. It's good to know that the army, and thus the government is cutting spending and hopefully thereby balancing the budget. Although it is unfortunate that they did so by cutting my contracting job. C'est la vie. At least I got Security+ certified to go along with my A+ certified and they paid the 250 for the test. Maybe I should take this opportunity to move out west to pursue my dream of becoming a screenplay writer for the adult film industry. I think I might do that once I get my CCNA certification.

Anyway, too much romance in this chapter. That kind of crowds out the angst. So next chapter expect an increase of angst by at least 150%


	9. It hurts to set you free

I don't own Ranma ½

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Ryoga leaned back against the rough bark of the tree. His eyes were closed, allowing him to more fully exult in the sigh of the breeze through the trees' leaves. He had missed this; the tranquility of nature. The neighborhood around his house had proved to be far too noisy as well as far too quiet for his tastes.

His home was normally eerily silent, so much so that the sound of the refrigerator's compressor turning on was enough to startle Ryoga at the other end of the house. At the same time, muted by walls and distance, there was the almost incessant noise of people living their everyday lives. Noises of cars running, of people laughing and shouting, of televisions or stereos playing too loudly. They were constant reminders that Ryoga was adrift amid a sea of humanity, yet at the same time he wasn't truly a part of it. The sound of others only served to remind Ryoga of just how alone he was.

Following the departure of Kasumi's train, Ryoga had been eager to return home. He had used his newfound ability to retrace his steps home. But after years of becoming lost at the drop of a hat, Ryoga had more hope than faith that he'd be able to find his way home. Thanks to his doubtful concerns, he had filled the journey home with images from his active imagination, showing him all sorts of scenarios which ended with him reaching any place but his house. When he finally opened his front door, Ryoga felt as if the trip had taken at least ten times as long as it actually had.

He was fearful that he had missed Kasumi's call, so he had raced over to the telephone and had uncurled the piece of paper that she had written her number on. He had kept it safely clamped tight in his fist ever since she had passed it to him. He had nervously dialed the number, and waited the eternity it took for the call to connect. The phone on the other end rang an inordinately long time before it was finally picked up. There was a terse silence broken by an inquisitive "Growf?"

"Hello, is Kasumi there?" Ryoga was desperate for news and unconcerned that it had been Mr. Saotome who answered.

"Growf," Mr. Saotome replied with a negative inflection.

Ryoga felt his heart plummet. Images of Kasumi's train being derailed, or thugs lying in wait for her between the station and her house, or her being tied up and forced into the trunk of a car, all ran through Ryoga's mind. Anxiously he had cast about until his eyes found a nearby clock which informed him that it had only been 15 minutes since he had seen her off at the station.

His anxiety abating, Ryoga replied, "I see. Then I guess I'll try again later."

Mr. Saotome helpfully answered, "Growf," and had hung up on Ryoga.

Ryoga had set the useless phone back on the cradle and tried to calm himself. He shrugged off his backpack and sat down on the nearby sofa. Shirokuro padded over and he had briefly patted her head before glancing again at the clock. It hadn't moved at all. He attempted to meditate, but quickly tired of it. He had been too agitated to enter the proper state of mind. Ryoga had the urge to get up and pace, but had long ago abandoned the practice. At a young age he had learned that walking aimlessly was a bad habit for a Hibiki to have.

In a final desperate attempt to distract himself, Ryoga turned his thoughts to Kasumi. Not to the many horrible scenarios his imagination could all too readily create, but rather to the thoughts he hadn't dared think about while she had been alone with him.

There was something about Kasumi, whether in her dress or manner, which normally caused her to blend into the background. When listing the many beauties of Nerima, a few months ago Ryoga would have probably started the list with either Akane or Shampoo. Judging by the many unrequited loves in Nerima, there seemed to be disagreement on the exact ranking, but not of the desirability of the many girls. In contrast, Kasumi didn't seem to rank highly on anyone's list, as a romantic partner at least.

When compared to the others, she seemed so different, so much more mature, that those who found Akane or one of the other girls most attractive naturally would never look at her in a sexual way. However, thanks to their blossoming friendship, Ryoga felt closer to Kasumi than he was with any other person. Further, he didn't feel like it was too much of a stretch to claim that he probably knew more about Kasumi and understood her better than most other people.

Which was why it had been so easy for him to see when they had been alone together, separated from a constant comparison with her sister or any other girl, that Kasumi was breathtakingly beautiful. It had taken Ryoga a few moments after meeting her to find her cute. It had taken him years of knowing her to realize that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever known.

That was why he had felt so … filthy the previous night. Her change in clothing, along with her frank openness, and the realization of her physical perfection, all had led Ryoga to think of her for the first time not as Kasumi the kind housekeeper, but as Kasumi the woman. This shift in focus, that re-imaging, had caused Ryoga to feel attracted to her. But at the same time he couldn't simply forget about his old impression of Kasumi, as the pure soul who always put the needs of others before her own. To have such base thoughts about such a paragon of virtue made Ryoga sick. Those thoughts had been what had kept Ryoga up the night before, as he fought the internal war for his soul. The fierce battle between his respect for Kasumi the saint and his physical attraction for Kasumi the woman.

While waiting for the phone to ring, the battle was still seething in Ryoga's mind, although it seemed that his more carnal thoughts were winning. He had just begun another round of mental flagellation when the telephone jarred the silence of the room and discord of his mind.

He had approached it as if the phone were an easily startled animal; Ryoga had hesitantly lifted the receiver and asked, "Hello?"

"Hello Ryoga, it's Kasumi."

"Oh, hello Kasumi." Ryoga was tried being nonchalant, and failed.

"Mr. Saotome told me you called earlier?"

Ryoga laughed nervously. "Yeah I did, just wanted to make sure you got home safe."

"Well I just walked in the door and everything seems alright. Although … oh dear."

"What is it? Is anything wrong?" Ryoga asked desperately.

Kasumi quickly replied in a disappointed tone, "There seems to be smoke coming from the kitchen. I think Akane may be trying to prepare a foreign dish again, and set the oven too hot. I'd better go and make sure it's nothing serious."

"Oh, alright. Well I'll talk to you later then. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Ryoga, and thank you for last night. It was wonderful."

Ryoga had heard the soft click of Kasumi hanging up, followed by the soft crunch of his hand crushing the telephone. Apparently the tensile strength of plastic was much less than he had thought. Ryoga had stared at the crushed phone for several long minutes after the conversation had been over, silently resolving to be more careful in the future.

His worries banished by the short phone call, Ryoga had felt reenergized and capable of taking on the world, and maybe this time even winning. So he had grabbed his pack once more and strode confidently out into the neighborhood. He successfully bought a new phone as well as some fresh food to restock the kitchen. It only had taken a few hours and several kilometers of backtracking. While following his trail worked well to get back to where he had been, it wasn't so great for getting someplace he hadn't been before. But in record time he finished his errands and for the second time that day, had found his way home. A feat he hadn't been able to accomplish in nearly a decade.

The sun had been on the cusp of dipping below the horizon as the fatigued but still jubilant Ryoga reached his house. The clustered buildings and distant cityscape robbed the scene of most of its majesty, leaving only a distant dull glow radiating scarlet heat before cooling off into the dull dark blue of the artificially illuminated night. Thankfully most of the disappointing charm of the scene had been lost on Ryoga. Though he was something of an expert and aficionado of sunsets, he had been too pleasantly exhausted to notice the defects of that one. He'd been using his new technique for hours on end, and it had drained him, though he had lasted much longer than the previous day. He was confident that as long as he kept practicing his ability, eventually he would use it as effortlessly as any other technique.

Ryoga had only enough energy to plug the line into the new telephone, and put away the few groceries he had picked up. Minutes later he had fallen into a deep and restful slumber, safe in his own bed.

The morning after he had awoken and still felt cheerful, though not quite as jubilant as the day before. Still, he felt energetic enough to perform his normal exercise routine, while using his new technique for as long as possible. He managed to hold it for several hours through exercising, preparing meals, playing with Shirokuro, and going about his normal day. After so many hours though, the energy to keep the technique going simply disappeared and in near mid-step, a fatigue unlike any other he had felt crashed down upon him. Thankfully he had been in the living room near the couch. He had fallen down upon it and in seconds had been lost in a deep sleep.

When he woke up the sun had yet to rise and Ryoga still felt quite tired. But still he had risen. Even though he lacked the small, uncharacteristic smile he had sported the day before, he was able to force himself through the day. Unfortunately, Ryoga soon realized that he had nothing to really do.

When he was lost, the majority of his time was spent traveling to become less lost. But now that he had managed to stay in the same place for an extended period of time, he found himself without a purpose and somewhat listless. Lacking the seemingly omnipresent goal of getting somewhere else, Ryoga settled for the goal of reconditioning himself and practicing his new ability. So he spent the day amongst the overdeveloped plants of the backyard, doing pushups, sit-ups, practicing kicks, punches, and throws. Training as best he could with only his body as equipment. All the while forcing himself to channel his chi through his eyes to activate and hold his new ability.

The sun had been high and hot, and he had been practicing for quite some time, with sweat pouring from his body, burning his aching eyes. He wanted desperately to wipe them, to rub away the pain, but he was in the midst of a kata, and didn't want to disrupt the flow of his movements. He had desperately tried to blink the pain away, and in desperation, had moved some muscle in his eyes he couldn't identify.

For a moment it felt as if the world had suddenly rushed by him and a blur before abruptly stopping. Everything but his fist that was, which completed the swing he had been in the middle of. But strangely Ryoga saw that his arm was transparent and ghostly. It burned a dull white path through the air, then a few pregnant moments later the arm he knew belonged to him followed the exact same path, displacing the transparent arm exactly in proportion and placement.

Ryoga blinked his eyes at the strange sight and time returned to normal. His eyes burned fiercely and he had felt a wave of exhaustion crash over him so monumental that he had fallen into a sweaty heap on the rough grass. He had been insensible for several hours until Shirokuro revived him by licking the dried salt from his face.

Ryoga still wasn't sure what he'd seen, or even if he'd actually seen it at all. The strange scene had lasted only the briefest of moments, and probably could be attributed to his overtaxed mind and body. There was a small portion of him which nagged at the back of his mind that he had once dismissed his new ability as a trick of the mind as well, and perhaps he shouldn't be so dismissive of what he might have seen.

His rest that night, even with the exhaustion he still felt had been fitful and unfulfilling.

The next day his mood had been even worse. Physically there had been nothing wrong with Ryoga, yet for the first time he could recall he felt like he lacked the energy to do anything. There had been times before, when Ryoga had been on the verge of giving up, asking what was the use to go on, but at those times he had thought himself in love with Akane and in hate with Ranma. If ever the goal of defeating his hated rival or wining his true love ever failed to motivate him, Ryoga always had the goal of figuring out where he was, and how he had arrived there.

However, now that he had finally found where he was, now that Ranma was no longer the enemy, and Akane no longer his one true love, Ryoga was afraid to ask himself what his purpose was, what was the reason to suffer the slings and arrows of life? Deep down he instinctively knew the answer, and he didn't want to face it, because he was afraid of what it would mean.

It seemed as if ever since Kasumi had left, Ryoga's life had less and less meaning as each day passed. As if the fuel for his internal motor had been removed and he was winding down. That had been the reason he had left the house. For a short time at least, he wanted to visit a place where he felt truly at peace. Unfortunately he didn't know where such a place was, so he did the next best thing and had gotten himself lost.

Now, alone in nature, Ryoga was finally feeling a bit like his normal self. He still didn't have a purpose or a definitive goal, but he was beginning at least to not feel as bad for its lack. But the day was growing late, and while Ryoga appreciated the natural scene surrounding him, he knew that he should be returning home. So he collected himself and his pack, and began to retrace his steps, trusting that they would eventually lead him home.

He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going. Instead his mind was preoccupied with the loneliness facing him once he reached his house. A stark loneliness which contrasted to the warm fullness of Kasumi's home. Every time he had been there, even when it had just been him and Kasumi alone, the house had seemed bright and full of life, while his own house seemed sterile and dark.

Ryoga used his ability to follow his own trail enough that he felt comfortable with following it automatically. He was still a stranger in his own neighborhood, so he didn't notice anything amiss as he left the woods behind and entered civilization. It wasn't until he was standing in front of the Tendo home that Ryoga figured out that his feet had betrayed him again.

In a panic he cast about himself. He was sure that he had been following his own glowing path, but the only one he now found in front of him was faded to the point of transparency. The one he had left behind him was thick and vibrant, but he could have sworn that the thread he had been following had been even fuller.

As he was standing in the street confused, Nabiki left the house and walked down the small path leading to the gate. "Hey Ryoga, lost again?"

"I'm not sure," Ryoga confessed.

"Well, if you're not sure whether you're lost or not, then I'd say you probably are." She glanced significantly at the gate he was blocking. "Now then, if you'd step aside, I'm on my way to a business meeting, and am fashionably late. I'd hate to be unfashionably late, if you know what I mean."

Ryoga quickly got out of her way. He knew little about how the minds of women worked, Nabiki's in particular, but he knew enough that even the slightest interaction with Nabiki could land you in a world of trouble. Nabiki smiled politely towards Ryoga as she walked by, quickly dismissing him as she continued down the street, in short order disappearing around a street corner.

Ryoga was left looking after her, before the turned to look up at the Tendo home, at Kasumi's home, and he found himself conflicted. On one hand, he knew he should be heading home, it was getting ever later in the day, and if he remembered correctly it was a few hours walk back to his house. On the other hand though, Ryoga felt a great longing to walk up to the house and say hello to Kasumi and maybe even Ranma. To hear them talk and laugh, to find a house full of sound and life.

But he'd hate to intrude, so Ryoga turned and began walking away.

"Oh, hello Ryoga," a voice called out to him cheerfully.

He looked back to find Kasumi coming around the side of the house, her hair tied back and holding a basket and a pair of small shears.

"Hello Kasumi," Ryoga replied happily.

"Did you come by to visit?"

Ryoga smiled somewhat sadly as he replied, "Not really, I'm afraid. I kind of got lost."

"Oh my," Kasumi exclaimed in worry. "I thought that we had fixed that."

"Yeah, I'm still getting used to finding my way. But don't worry I shouldn't have too much trouble getting back home."

"Well, that's good." Kasumi seemed at a loss as to what else to say. She looked down and noticed her gardening implements and lifted her basket which was full of limp green stalks. "I was doing a bit of gardening," she explained. "But I was thinking of taking a short break. Would you like to come in and join me for tea?"

Peering closer at her, Ryoga noticed that Kasumi did look a bit tired. Her face glowed with exercise and a few strands of her hair had fallen out of her tie and stuck to the back of her neck. Her eyes were bright and shining, brought out by her simple dress. He desperately wanted to accept her offer, but he had trespassed upon her kindness for too long already. He sadly smiled. "I'm afraid I can't Kasumi. I need to be heading home."

Kasumi looked disappointed, but she put on a small smile as she kindly said, "Oh. Well, if you're too busy today, feel free to come by and have tea whenever you'd like. You're welcome here anytime."

Again Ryoga felt a longing to accept the invitation, to go inside and spend time with Kasumi, discussing whatever came into their heads. Really it didn't matter what they spoke of, so long as he could simply spend more time in Kasumi's presence. But he had already intruded upon her life too much, having depended upon her so completely during his convalescence.

"Thank you, I'll keep your offer in mind, but I'm afraid I must be going now."

He quickly turned away, not wanting to see her painfully disappointed visage any longer. True she was smiling, but somehow Ryoga knew that he had disappointed her somehow, and felt horrible for it. Morosely he followed his trail back through Nerima, and after several hours, long after the sun had set, reached his house. As he went to bed that night he wondered where his depression came from, and why it felt so much worse than normal.

The next day, and the day after, and the day after that, Ryoga tirelessly dedicated himself to pushing his body beyond its limits. He drove out his feelings of loneliness and sadness by focusing completely on physically exerting himself. When he grew tired, he ignored it. When his muscles cried out in agony, he ignored them too. He just kept training, exercising, pushing himself, until his body would refuse to respond and would simply collapse. A few times he worked himself so hard, and his body failed him so completely, that Ryoga would fall down mid exercise and lapse into a deep unconscious rest wherever he landed, a rest devoid of dreams, thoughts, or emotions.

He worked himself not only through simple exercises such as pushups, sit-ups, and practicing his kicks and punches, but he took up a new exercise, running. Ryoga found that he missed the continuously changing scenery of his travels, and he felt confident in his ability to return to his house, so he had started to run. First through his neighborhood, then throughout the district, then through the farmland outside the city, and finally through the wilds past the farmland.

He would run as fast has he was able, with as heavy a pack as he could carry, for hours at a time. He would run until his legs locked and he'd have to stop, until his lungs ached with every breath he gasped, until every thought of Kasumi left his head. Unfortunately that last seemed impossible. The longer Ryoga went on living alone, refusing to allow himself to see Kasumi, the more numerous his thoughts about her became.

The way her hair fell perfectly in the morning light, or how it had seemed to prickly stick to her neck the last time he had seen her. Or thoughts of her large beautiful brown eyes framed by the delicate arches of her naturally long eyelashes. In every mountain breeze, he smelled her. That scent which lay below her pleasant perfume, the one which belonged uniquely to Kasumi, which Ryoga knew he could never mistake for anyone else's. In every bubbling stream he could hear her quiet laughter, and in every swaying willow he could discern her graceful movements.

More times then he would like to admit, Ryoga had been returning home, only to find himself inexplicably in front of the Tendo house. Once he had stumbled unwittingly into the market district of Nerima, and had wondered what he was doing there, when he had seen the familiar figure of Kasumi at a stall. Another time Ryoga had found himself in a store he had never before been inside of, and Kasumi was bent over the display counter admiring the pastries inside.

Thankfully Ryoga had managed to leave without attracting her attention. Luckily, because the last thing he wanted was to meet her again. Unfortunately as the day's passed, he found himself frequently unconsciously stalking her.

The last time it had happened had also been the closest from his point of view. He had been running with no specific destination, but as usual his insides had been tied up with conflicting thoughts about Kasumi. What was she doing? What was she thinking? What was her day like? Could she ever like someone like him? Thoughts such as those plagued him so much that he had been unaware of where he had been going. At least until he had nearly run into a telephone pole. Well, he had run into it, but he had been able to stop himself before knocking it over, so he decided to chalk it up as a near miss.

He had looked about him, trying to figure out where he was, perhaps Hong Kong or Seoul, when he had seen Kasumi only a few feet away, standing in front of a stall full of fresh vegetables, cheerfully talking with the elderly lady standing behind the vast assortment of groceries. Ryoga had quickly ducked behind the slightly skewed telephone pole and had a small panic attack. He definitely should have left, but some baser part of him had decided that perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible to watch Kasumi for a short while. Perhaps he had been dwelling on the idea of her for too long, and faced with the reality, he would find that she wasn't worth so much mental anxiety.

So Ryoga had surreptitiously spied on Kasumi from around the telephone poll. He couldn't hear what she was saying to the proprietor of the vegetable stand, but the wonderful way her lips moved as she spoke caused his chest to tighten. Her luscious lips, not too thick, not too thin, effortlessly danced around syllables, creating a captivating ballet of language. Ryoga wasn't sure how long he watched her talking, but eventually he managed to move from her mouth to the rest of her face. Her arched eyebrows, her large and expressive eyes.

He frowned slightly. While her mouth was smiling, he noticed that Kasumi's eyes weren't sparkling with the vibrant energy he knew they possessed when she was truly happy. They seemed dull, flat, sad. Ryoga's heart went out to Kasumi. Whatever was bothering her, she was trying to appear happy for the sake of others. He desperately wanted to fix whatever was wrong, to make things right for her. When she wore a smile she didn't mean, it was a cruel mockery of the wonderful expression he knew she was capable of, and it cut him to the quick.

Perhaps his gaze had been too intense, because Kasumi had paused and frowned slightly, and had looked up, glancing about her as if looking for something. Ryoga had quickly ducked back behind the telephone poll, his heart racing a mile a minute, hoping that he had been quick enough to have not been seen. He waited a few minutes, tensely pressed against the concrete pillar, while several random pedestrians looked at him curiously as they passed by. He ignored them, concentrating on listening for the soft tread he knew belonged to Kasumi. It never came.

Eventually he grew bold enough to poke his head back around the poll, to find that Kasumi had moved further down the street away from him. With a final wistful look at her, Ryoga had slinked away.

Since then, Ryoga had been careful to always pay attention to where he was going in order to make sure that he didn't stumble across Kasumi again. He was a slow learner, but Ryoga had come to the inescapable conclusion that he was in love with Kasumi Tendo, and the fact that he was terrified him.

Ryoga had longed nearly all his life to be in love, but the few experiences he had with it, he had managed to seriously screw up. He worried that the infatuation he had felt for Akane simply had been transferred over to Kasumi. Perhaps he was shallow enough that when one sister denied his feelings, he simply settled for the other.

But even as he thought such low things about himself, Ryoga knew that the feelings he held toward Kasumi was far different than the love he had felt for Akane. With Akane his love had been like a torch, or a flare, bright, fierce, and painful. But with Kasumi it felt more like embers or hot coals, much slower to catch, but capable of an even greater, all encompassing heat.

He longed to run to Kasumi, to talk to her, to touch her, to hold her, to somehow wrap himself in her essence. But at the same time he forced himself away from her. How could he go to see Kasumi not certain of his motivations? Did he love her because she was Kasumi, or because she was a Tendo, or because she was the one who showed him the greatest kindness he had ever known? In addition, Ryoga didn't know how Kasumi felt. She had been nice to him of course, but she was nice to everyone. Sure she humored him, but how could she ever have feelings for a guy like him? Stupid, slow, weak, lost all the time, and that's not even taking into account his cursed form. A wonderful woman such as Kasumi not only likely expected better, she deserved better.

So Ryoga forced himself to stay away from Kasumi. He knew that he wasn't good enough for her, and he wasn't sure if he could fully contain his emotions around her. Knowing how kind she was, she likely wouldn't laugh in his face about his infatuation, but still he'd hate to reveal just how much of a fool he was to her. As part of his campaign to distance himself, he never called her either, although Kasumi for some reason called him often. He had answered the first few times, but had kept the conversations shallow and almost rudely brief. After a while though, when the phone rang, Ryoga would just sit and stare at it with tears threatening to fill his eyes. He just didn't know what to do to make the situation he found himself in right, how to feel good again.

Weeks passed, and one bright day Ryoga was in his fiftieth rep of pushups. The sweat was pouring off his body; his shirt was discarded in the grass nearby. Suddenly he felt a light weight on his back, and an upside-down black pigtail and face bent down in front of him.

"Hey Ryoga, watcha doing?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga looked at Ranma with annoyance for a moment before standing up abruptly, hoping to cause the other boy to fall gracelessly to the ground. But Ranma simply flipped over Ryoga's head and lightly landed on his feet.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ryoga walked over to his shirt and used it as an impromptu towel, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Well, I'd say it looks like you're training really hard to win that sparing match we're gonna have."

Ryoga paused his wiping, then hung his shirt around the back of his neck. Truthfully, he had forgotten all about the match he had promised Saotome.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm training because I can't wait to see the look on your face after I've pounded it into the ground a few times." Ryoga gave Ranma an approximation of a cocky grin.

Ranma's face lit up in reply, his competitive nature rising to Ryoga's challenge.

"Ha, like you'd ever be able to even get close to beating me. You're going to hafta break a lot more boulders with your face before you can get near my level." Ranma mocked a contemplative pose. "You know, that might help your complexion too."

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha. Real funny. I guess we can't all run around as pretty young ladies. So, when do you want to fight?"

Ranma's expression had clouded at Ryoga's allusion to his curse, and he shrugged his shoulders slightly as he suggested, "I don't know, how about tomorrow?"

Ryoga shrugged in reply. "Works for me, it's not like I'm doing anything more important. So, where at?"

"How about at that vacant lot nearby?"

"Nah, they built some condos there. How about Furinkan High? We could use one of the sports fields."

Ranma shook his head. "They said the next time I messed up school property, they'd stick me with the bill to repair it."

Ryoga hummed. It seemed that it was becoming ever more difficult to find someplace where two guys could fight each other without regard for extensive property damage.

"I know," Ranma said excitedly. "There's a construction site I pass by on the way to school all the time. They ran out of money or something, so no one's worked on it in like months."

"Sounds good to me."

"Great, I'll come by tomorrow and pick you up, then we can wail on each other as much as we like. I ought to go though; I'm supposed to be on an errand for Nabiki. There's some sort of candy they have next district over that she wants, and I owe her a favor. So I'll see ya later."

With a wave he effortlessly leapt to the roof of Ryoga's house.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow then," Ryoga called out to Ranma's rapidly disappearing back.

His routine and concentration were broken, so Ryoga decided to head inside. It was probably a good idea to allow his muscles to rest for the next day anyway. As he walked through the house and to the bathroom for a quick shower, Ryoga wondered if this was all there was to his life. Crushing solitude and unobtainable dreams, interspaced by bouts of violence. Truthfully, fighting was about the only thing he was good at, and he wasn't even the best at it, as proved by many of his encounters with Ranma.

The next day found Ryoga impatiently waiting for Ranma. He didn't have the luxury of exercising and overtaxing his muscles, and Ranma had said that he would be coming by to pick Ryoga up, so he couldn't really go out for a run. Ryoga had attempted to fill his time with reading a book he had found lying around the house, but had given it up after his mind had refused to absorb the words on the page. There was only one thing, one person, his mind wanted to dwell on, and Ryoga was trying his hardest not to think about her. So he was relieved when he heard the doorbell ring. A fight with Ranma would drive away all his superfluous thoughts. For a while at least.

Ryoga opened the door, a bit of prepared banter on his lips, and found Kasumi demurely standing before him. She smiled nervously, and without exactly meeting his eyes said, "Hello Ryoga, I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by."

Ryoga was dumbfounded. He had gone to great lengths to avoid Kasumi, to avoid even thinking of her, and here she was on his doorstep. He was so dumbfounded that it was several seconds before he realized that an awkward silence had fallen and that he was being quite rude.

He shook his head slightly, to clear it, and said, "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Please come in." He stood aside and swore that the day had suddenly become brighter as Kasumi slipped past him into the entryway. She slipped her shoes off and exchanged them for the guest slippers kept near the door. She was probably the only one to have ever used them.

Still coming to grips with the appearance of his self-denied obsession, Ryoga absently closed the door. He found Kasumi straightening from putting on the slippers, presenting him with an unfair image of a pretty young woman dressed in a conservative but quite fetching powder blue dress. Trying not to become lost in her large, expressive eyes, Ryoga robotically asked, "Would you like some tea, or some refreshments?"

"Oh yes, that would be lovely."

Ryoga led the way to the kitchen. Even though Kasumi had been in his house before, Ryoga found himself uneasy, nervous that somehow his home, or something in it, would disappoint her. Kasumi seated herself at the table in Ryoga's spartan kitchen while he busied himself with finding just where his tea set was. Ryoga's nervousness only increased as he realized that he couldn't find his tea service. He hadn't used it recently, relying instead on store bought cans of tea. Now it seemed that his teapot and cups had disappeared. He had already gone through the most likely cabinets where it would be stored when he heard Kasumi's delicate voice inform him, "The tea things are two cabinets to your left."

"Oh, right." Ryoga's embarrassment grew at having Kasumi know the way around his kitchen better than he did.

The tea service was right where she said it would be, and with a minimum of fuss, he went about preparing the hot water and soon he was placing a steaming cup of green tea in front of Kasumi. He sat down across from her, cradling his own warm cup with one hand.

"So," started Ryoga. He had a thousand things he wanted to tell Kasumi, and a thousand reasons to remain silent. "How's your family?" he asked lamely.

"Oh they're doing well, thank you for asking. Father and Mr. Saotome left on a training trip several days ago, but they called from a nearby prefecture and said they were on their way home, so they should be back anytime now. I hope they haven't overexerted themselves."

Well acquainted with the methodologies of the two older martial artists, Ryoga dryly replied, "I don't think you have to worry about those two overworking themselves."

An uncomfortable silence fell between Ryoga and Kasumi, which Ryoga filled by sipping at his tea, though he wasn't thirsty at all. Kasumi politely drank a bit of her tea, but for the most part seemed occupied with running her finger around the rim of her cup. It seemed to Ryoga that she was uncomfortable, as if she was unsure of what she wanted to do.

Desiring to distract her from whatever was weighing on her mind, Ryoga spoke up. "So, what brought you here today?"

Kasumi looked up in surprise, but quickly averted her eyes. "Uh, I was just in the neighborhood running an errand and I thought I would stop by. You seemed upset about something the last time we met, and you haven't come by the house in sometime. I've tried calling, but you always seem to be out."

Ryoga hollowly laughed. "Yeah, I've been kinda busy lately, running from place to place a lot." Privately he wondered what kind of errand would take Kasumi so far from Nerima, but he had the feeling that if she had wanted to talk about it, she would have gone into more depth herself. "Sorry for not coming by. But I guess I just didn't have any errands that took me to that part of town."

"That's alright," Kasumi dismissed his excuse. "We're together now. But what exactly have you been busy with Ryoga? I've tried calling at different times in the day, but you never answer."

I've been busy avoiding you. "Training, practicing, you know, getting back into shape."

"I suppose that must be very important to a martial artist. And I guess it doesn't leave too much time for other things," Kasumi commented sadly. She contemplated the depths of her teacup.

"So, what have you been doing?"

"Oh, the usual. Cooking, cleaning, reading, gardening, those sorts of things." She sighed. "Although for some reason I'm not enjoying them as much as I used to. Not that chores are ever really fun, but they've seemed even less fun for the past few weeks. Maybe it's because summer's arrived and it's so much hotter and brighter out now. Maybe that's why when everyone else has gone off to school or work, I feel more alone than I used to."

"I'm sorry." Ryoga wasn't sure what exactly he was apologizing for, but he meant it with all his heart.

Kasumi looked out the window, where the bright morning light was flooding the backyard. She abruptly and anxiously turned back to Ryoga. "Do you still love Akane?"

Unprepared for the blunt question, Ryoga was glad he hadn't been drinking his tea when she asked. A million thoughts ran through his head as he carefully set his cup down, trying to think of an answer.

"I did," he finally stated. "At least, I think I did. She was really the first girl who was kind to me, who didn't make fun of me for getting lost. And for a long time I felt something for her. I thought it was love, but maybe it was just gratitude." He smiled sadly. "Whatever it was, it sure hurt when I told her about my curse, and how I've lied to her."

"Are you still hurt over her rejection?" Kasumi quietly asked, though there was a slight edge to her voice. "What if Akane's feelings changed and she forgave you? Would you go back to loving her?"

It was Ryoga's turn to stare into the depths of his tea and contemplate the leaf sediments rolling around the bottom of his cup.

"Yeah, I guess it does still hurt a little. But mostly because I deserved it and could have prevented it by telling her the truth earlier. It'd be great if Akane did forgive me and we could go back to being friends. It doesn't feel good to be hated, especially by someone like Akane." Ryoga looked up to find that Kasumi's countenance had fallen, and she appeared wistful. He quickly continued, "But like I said, I think we'd just be friends. Whatever I felt for her pales in comparison to what I think love should be, to what I think I feel now."

Kasumi perked up when Ryoga said he only viewed Akane as a friend. She seemed hopeful, yet cautious as she asked him, "Does that mean you've fallen in love with someone else?"

With a small, sad smile for his doomed one sided love, Ryoga admitted, "Yes."

"Someone I know?"

Ryoga chuckled ruefully and looked at Kasumi meaningfully. "Oh, I'd say you know her intimately."

Kasumi smiled brightly and reached across the table, laying her hand atop his. She was on the cusp of saying something, but was interrupted by a quick rapping at the kitchen window. Ryoga and Kasumi turned to find Ranma standing outside.

Stunned at Ranma's appearance during a rather emotionally charged moment, Ryoga reflexively jerked his unoccupied hand's thumb toward the sliding door. Ranma replied with a smile and a thumbs up shortly before disappearing. Ryoga looked back at Kasumi who had withdrawn as far from Ryoga as she could while remaining in her seat. Her face betrayed her surprise at Ranma's appearance, but she had composed herself by the time Ranma popped into the kitchen.

"Hey Ryoga, hello Kasumi. What are you doing here?" Ranma asked as he sauntered in. He walked over to the table and nonchalantly appropriated Ryoga's tea cup and sipped from it.

"Oh, I… I just came to visit a friend."

Her story had changed, and Ryoga was about to ask her what other friend she had in the neighborhood. The thought of her visiting someone else besides him didn't sit right with him.

But before he could ask her, Ranma seemed to accept her answer. "Okay, that's cool." He turned to Ryoga. "You ready for our fight?"

Kasumi interrupted, "Fight, what fight?"

"It's not really a fight, just some sparing," Ryoga reassured her.

"Yeah, just a little friendly one on one," Ranma chimed in. "It's not anything serious." He turned back to Ryoga. "So you ready to go or what?"

Quickly becoming annoyed at Ryoga's goading, Ryoga pushed his chair back and stood up while answering, "Yeah yeah."

"May I come and watch?"

Both Ranma and Ryoga looked at Kasumi in surprise, then at one another. Ranma shrugged to communicate his neutrality. Ryoga felt a tiny sense of unease at the thought of being scrutinized by Kasumi while he fought, but he didn't have a concrete reason to deny her request.

"Sure," he decided. "If you want."

"I do. Just let me clean up the tea things, and I'll be ready to leave." She stood up and began to collect the cups and teapot. Ryoga berated himself for being a poor host, and swooped in to claim the teapot as well as plucking the cup from Ranma's hand. He quickly took them to the sink where he poured the lukewarm tea out, leaving the dirty dishes on the counter. Kasumi walked over and handed him her cup, and he dealt with it in the same manner.

"Don't worry about cleaning up, these will keep until I get back," Ryoga explained.

"Then let's go," Ranma sounded impatient for some reason. So when Ryoga donned his traveling pack before leaving the house, he made sure to do it extra slowly. But despite his delaying tactics to aggravate Ranma, in a few minutes the three of them were in Ryoga's front yard, the front door locked behind them. A few idyllic clouds dotted the blue sky.

"Just follow me, and we'll get there in no time," Ranma said, before leaping to a nearby roof.

Ryoga looked over at Kasumi, then back to the quickly moving Ranma. Stupidity seemed to be a dominant trait in the Saotome genes. Ryoga looked back to Kasumi and without any other alternative, he held out his arms.

"Well, if we want to follow him, we'd better go," he invited her with a calm voice completely at odds with the tempest of emotions he was feeling.

Kasumi turned from the airborne Ranma to Ryoga and his outstretched arms. "Are you sure? Is it safe?"

"Yes."

Kasumi searched Ryoga's eyes for something, and seemed to find what she was looking for. She came close to him and took one of his hands. With a swift movement, Ryoga swept Kasumi into his arms, securely pressing her to his chest. Instinctively her hands clutched around his neck and her head rested on his shoulder. Ryoga tried to ignore the aroma which seemed to surround him which screamed, "Kasumi." Instead he silently chanted a mantra of "don't squeeze too tight, don't squeeze too tight," as he leapt to the roofs and began to follow the path Ranma had taken.

They spent many heart-pounding minutes leaping over the short and not so short gaps between houses, the scenery rushing by them. Kasumi clung tightly to Ryoga at first, and he thought he might of heard her give out a tiny squeal. But soon she loosened her grip on him and turned her head to watch as the roofs sped past. They caught up to the pigtailed martial artist just as he had come to a stop in the street in front of a large lot dotted with bare foundations and partially built walls.

Ryoga jumped down from the roof of the last house and landed near his rival. He gently set Kasumi down and tried not to notice that she held onto him for a moment longer than necessary. He keenly felt the loss of her warmth though.

"Thank you, that was rather exhilarating," Kasumi said with a bright smile.

"It wasn't too scary or anything was it?" Ryoga asked anxiously.

"No. I always feel safe when I'm with you."

Ranma again interrupted their moment by commenting, "Good, looks like we got here just in time."

Still blushing from Kasumi's comment, Ryoga swung around to Ranma in annoyance. "In time for what?"

But his question seemed to be answered by the sight of Akane walking along the opposite side of the street, still in her school uniform, seeming oblivious to their presence.

"Hey Akane," Ranma called out.

Akane's head came up and she caught sight of Ranma and the others. "Hello Ranma, Kasumi, … Ryoga."

Ryoga had expected her to not acknowledge him, or if she did, acknowledge him with anger and hatred. But when she had said his name, she hadn't sounded angry so much as merely hesitant. As if she had been unprepared to see him, but wasn't upset over that fact.

She focused her attention on Ranma and asked, "So what are you guys doing here?"

"Well, me and him," Ranma jerked his thumb back at Ryoga, "are about to have a little sparing match. You can hang around and watch if you want. Maybe you'll learn something."

"The only thing I could ever learn from you Ranma is how to be a jerk."

Ranma ignored Akane's barb and called out to Ryoga over his shoulder, "I'm sensing some hostility here. Let's start beating the crap out of each other before Akane decides to cut in." He began walking toward the deserted lot.

With a queasy feeling, Ryoga unstrapped his backpack and let it fall to the sidewalk. He waved a little wave at Akane as he followed after Ranma. Her face was neutral as she nodded in return. At least she didn't seem upset Ryoga consoled himself.

Ranma stopped just beyond halfway into the empty lot and turned to face Ryoga. With his opponent before him, Ryoga cleared his mind of Akane and Kasumi. This was what he had come for, the total concentration necessary to fight an opponent like Ranma. Concentration which obliterated and simplified the world until there was nothing left but the two of them.

Ranma was still smiling, and seemed to just be standing there, relaxed with his hands casually thrust into his pockets. But Ryoga could see that his eyes were coldly evaluating him, and could also sense the tension that was running through the other boy's frame.

Ryoga settled into a loose but more traditional stance and called out, "You ready to die Ranma?"

Ranma smiled nonchalantly and replied, "Hey man, anytime you're ready."

Ryoga waited a few seconds for Ranma to strike first, but quickly realized that Ranma was waiting for him to start the fight. Ryoga never had too much patience with just standing there staring at an opponent, so he charged at Ranma, starting off with a quick left jab followed by an even quicker sharp right hook. Ranma leaned out of the way of the first and ducked under the second, without taking his hands from his pockets.

"Hey, you're getting faster. You might even be able to hit me someday without sneaking up on me."

Ryoga growled at the verbal jab and went for an uppercut with his left hand, which Ranma skipped away from. Ryoga sent Ranma a perturbed glance and asked, "Are you going to dance around all day, or are you actually going to fight?"

"Oh don't worry, whenever we start sparing, I'll fight," was Ranma's flippant answer.

It never failed, every time he fought Ranma, no matter how civil the fight started, Ranma would always say something that would make Ryoga's blood boil.

With a cry that sounded more bullish than human, Ryoga rushed toward Ranma again, unleashing a barrage of quick punches towards his face and torso. Ranma retreated under the tantalizingly close assault. Ryoga could swear that there was less than a hair's breadth between his fists and Ranma's face.

As he was backing up, Ranma's foot encountered a partially buried rock, and he stumbled backwards. Sensing his distraction, Ryoga put all he had into a final punch aimed for Ranma's nose. Finally Ranma removed his hands from his pockets and used one to deflect the trajectory of Ryoga's punch away from his head, while the other used the opening presented by Ryoga's overreach to punch him in the solar plexus.

Both boys retreated a bit, each wincing slightly. Ranma was missing a piece of his sleeve where his arm had blocked Ryoga's blow, and the skin beneath was welted, promising a decent bruise. Ryoga felt the familiar aching pain of Ranma's Chestnut Fist having landed several dozen punches near instantaneously. Both boys regarded each other with respect.

"That a good enough start for you?" Ryoga snidely asked.

"Yeah."

Ranma launched himself into the air and aimed a kick for Ryoga's head, which the lost boy easily blocked. Ranma used the momentum from Ryoga's block to twist and throw a punch which Ryoga had slightly more difficulty in blocking. Unfortunately Ranma twisted yet again and hit Ryoga's now exposed sternum with another Chestnut Fist.

Ryoga pushed Ranma away and threw a punch meant to make sure Ranma backed off to a safe distance rather than injure him. Ranma flipped away to safety, and Ryoga took the opportunity to rub his sore spot.

Ranma was fast as usual. It seemed that no matter how fast Ryoga became, Ranma was always that much faster. Ryoga definitely had an edge in the strength department though. If he could land just one hit, it might slow Ranma down enough for him to win this fight.

Such were the thoughts which ran through Ryoga's head in the instant before Ranma launched himself with a flying sidekick toward Ryoga. Ryoga used both of his forearms as a shield against Ranma's kick, causing Ranma's leg to buckle as it was blocked. Ranma spun fast, faster than any human has the right to spin, attempting to kick Ryoga in the side of the head with his other leg. However Ryoga was able to turn his hand quickly enough to grab Ranma's leg, and continued the turn with his whole body. He used Ranma's inertia to fling him away toward a partially completed wall. Ranma flew through the plywood and two by fours, and skidded for a short distance along the dirt ground on his backside.

Ryoga quickly followed Ranma through the hole and found the other boy springing to his feet. Ryoga went on the offensive again, charging Ranma with his fist cocked. Ranma waited until the very last moment and leapt high into the air. He easily cleared Ryoga and landed behind the lost boy. Ryoga felt the familiar sting of the Chestnut Fist in his kidney, and with a roar he spun around, trying to catch Ranma with a swift spinning kick. But his foot met only air as Ranma dodged it by the narrowest of margins as he sprung backwards.

There was a lull in the fight as the two combatants eyed each other. Ryoga's stomach and side were hurting, and a slight twinge of pain when he breathed in too deeply. Obviously his plan of run in and pound Ranma wasn't working as well as could be hoped. The problem was what it always was, Ranma was simply too fast. If only there was a way to slow him down, or see his movements.

Ryoga had a flash of an idea, and with nothing else to lose, he taped into his new ability to see if it somehow could aid him. He instinctively took a step back as the world became brighter with auras appearing around almost everything, including Ranma. The nimbus surrounding Ranma was unlike any Ryoga had yet seen. Where other people had a slight glowing aura that extended only a few inches from their body, Ranma's glow seemed to engulf him in a field of energy at least a foot thick. It was bright red and crackled with yellow-white arcs of energy.

"What's the matter, you backing down already?" Ranma called out.

"No. I just got a good look at your face for the first time and realized how ugly it was." Not the best insult, but the best Ryoga's false bravado could come up with.

"Heh, real funny." Ranma shot forward toward Ryoga, and Ryoga was too overwhelmed with awe at Ranma's shifting aura to watch Ranma's body as closely as she should have. So he was completely open when Ranma's fist connected with his temple shortly before Ranma's other fist attempted to bury itself in his solar plexus again. Ryoga reeled from the blows, even though he could tell that Ranma had pulled those last two punches.

The unexpected display of kindness from Ranma helped Ryoga's anger overcome his shock. He was by no means weak; he didn't need anyone's pity. He just needed to counter Ranma's advantage. Ryoga thought back to their last fight, and came up with a bright idea. What was the use of speed if you couldn't see?

Looking down, he quickly found a fault point that he could use. Just as Ranma was leaping forward to attack him once more, Ryoga crouched down and jammed his finger into the ground, causing it to explode upward in a cloud of fine powder. The cloud was thick and dense, and in the fog of particulate, visibility was reduced to zero for the unaided eye. But with his tracking ability still activated, Ryoga could clearly see Ranma's fierce aura quickly descending upon him.

As quietly as possible Ryoga rolled to the side out of Ranma's path and quickly climbed to his feet. Ranma's aura landed where he had been, then spun around in a circle searchingly for a few moments before coming to a halt. Putting as much power into the punch as he could, Ryoga launched his fist squarely at Ranma's aura and felt it solidly connect with something fleshy and firm.

There was a sharp intake of breath and Ranma admiringly commented, "You hit like a truck. And you make as much noise as one too. I can hear you coming from a mile away."

The red aura shifted toward Ryoga and Ranma's leg nailed him in the side. It was only a normal kick though, one easily shrugged off. Still Ryoga leapt back, deeper into the dusty haze which was beginning to settle down.

Ranma cast around, blindly searching for Ryoga. The lost boy waited until the aura was facing away from him and lunged forward with a blow hopefully aimed at Ranma's kidneys. Again Ryoga felt his fist land with a solid hit, but this time his arm was captured by Ranma grabbing onto it.

"Gotcha."

With his hands securely locked around Ryoga's arm, Ranma began landing kicks on various parts of Ryoga. Ryoga meanwhile attempted to land his own attacks on Ranma, punching and kicking toward the other boy as much as possible, but his trapped arm made it difficult to solidly hit Ranma. All in all, for the next several seconds there was a lot of flailing between the two boys, neither doing too much damage to the other.

"Let go," Ryoga growled out.

"Nah. I learned in a fight with a blind guy once that if you can't see your opponent, you've gotta keep 'em in arm's reach."

The dust had nearly settled, and the two dirt covered boys contemplated one another before Ryoga roughly shoved Ranma away, finally breaking the hold on his arm. They both took a moment to catch their breath and catalogue their wounds. Ryoga was still feeling the punches from earlier, but most of the hits he had taken during the dust up were minor, so he wasn't feeling too bad. Ranma was bent over slightly, cradling his left side.

"So, Kasumi tells me you can see people's chi now," Ranma said conversationally. "That how you were able to track me in that dust cloud?"

"Something like that."

"Huh." The world grew a bit dimmer as Ranma's aura suddenly disappeared. "How about now?"

Ryoga's grimace was all the answer Ranma needed. "Well then, let's go back to old fashioned butt kicking."

He lunged toward Ryoga. Ranma had slowed down noticeably from the damage Ryoga had inflicted, allowing the lost boy to block most of Ranma's attacks. The next several minutes were spent in a frenzy of ultra-close combat, of twisting arms knocking away punches, elbows blocking knees, forearms slamming against forearms, each boy twisting around the movements of the other, searching for an opening.

Ryoga managed to get a few hits through Ranma's defense, but while they caused Ranma to wince, they had only been mere glances. Meanwhile Ranma had landed at least five times as many hits on Ryoga. Most had been normal and easily ignored, but a few had been Chestnut Fists, and were taking their toll on Ryoga. Ranma wasn't the only one who was beginning to slow down. If things kept on going the way they were, it was only a matter of time until Ranma won the war of attrition.

Fiercely, he focused on Ranma, looking for the opening that had to be there for him to take advantage of. He felt his eye twitch uncomfortably, and time seemed to slow to a near standstill. It felt as if his sight had jumped to a new plateau, one far beyond his ability to see auras. In amazement Ryoga saw what appeared to be a ghost arm sprouting from Ranma, aimed at his left eye. Reflexively Ryoga jerked away from the phantom limb, and watched in amazement as Ranma's real arm followed the exact path of his ghost arm, leaving him open thanks to Ryoga's jerking out of the way. Time seemed to return to normal as Ryoga's fist connected with Ranma's cheek, sending the off balanced Ranma flying backwards.

"How'd you do that? You shouldn't be able to move like that!" Ranma spat a bit of blood out into the dirt.

Ryoga looked down contemplatively at his fist. "I guess I learned a new trick."

Warily, Ranma charged toward Ryoga, launching into a jump kick aimed at the lost boy's face. Just as Ryoga blocked, he saw Ranma's phantom right leg sweeping up into a follow-up kick. Ryoga ducked under the translucent leg and the real kick which followed sailed over his head. Ryoga took the opportunity to nail Ranma in the kidney. He aimed another hit for Ranma's cheek, but Ranma had recovered enough to block Ryoga's attack. Mostly.

Ryoga saw the ghost of Ranma's hand reaching for his, and was able to redirect his arm enough to still deal Ranma a glancing blow. Ranma spun with the momentum and leapt away, putting some distance between him and Ryoga.

He fiercely examined Ryoga and commented, "Your eyes are a different color. You're using a chi technique aren't you."

Ryoga could only smile at having an advantage over Ranma.

"I thought we agreed no chi attacks," Ranma said hotly.

"This isn't an attack, it's a chi defense," was Ryoga's contrite reply.

"Oh yeah? Well defend against this," Ranma said as he slipped into his preferred stance for the Moko Takabisha. As he began to gather his chi, Ryoga smiled. Ranma could throw whatever attacks he wanted Ryoga's way, with his new ability, Ryoga would simply dodge them all.

However, as the ball of energy Ranma was summoning grew larger, Ryoga felt his own energy draining away. It was as if it were all rushing out a large hole, leaving him feeling empty. Just as Ranma released his Moko Takabisha, the last of Ryoga's energy fled him and the world returned to its normal colors. He dropped to his knees in utter exhaustion as the large ball of energy rushed toward him.

He was so tired; he couldn't seem to move, much less call upon enough chi to block Ranma's attack. At the edge of his consciousness, Ryoga could feel the familiar stirrings of depression at having lost another battle. Its siren call reached out to him. No matter how tired he was, so long as he could still feel, he could call upon the Shi Shi Hokodan. With most of his chi gone, it would be tiny for sure, but possibly large enough to save him from Ranma's Moko Takabisha.

From habit, Ryoga closed his eyes and reached out and began harnessing his depression, gathering its sickly power into a ball. But abruptly the figure of Kasumi blossomed in his mind. Kasumi as she had appeared when he last visited her home, when she had been gardening. Her hair tied back, but with a few strands loose, her face flushed from working outside, her perfect mouth marred into a disapproving frown as she watched him break his promise.

Ryoga threw away the energy he had been gathering from his depression. He couldn't let Kasumi down; he couldn't disappoint her like that. He opened his eyes just before the Moko Takabisha hit him. He felt the blast of energy lifting him through a wall, maybe two. By the third he had blacked out from pain and exhaustion.

When he came to, Ryoga could feel that he was moving and someone was asking, "… sure we shouldn't take him to Dr. Tofu's?"

Akane's voice came from somewhere very close by to Ryoga. "That depends, are you really set on staying with Ryoga until he's come to?"

"Oh yes."

"Then he'd probably be safer at home then at Dr. Tofu's."

Ryoga opened his eyes and found his world swaying, the buildings crawling by, and the many grey clouds in the sky alarmingly swinging back and forth. His arms hurt. Well, everything hurt actually, but his arms were feeling a more immediate strain then the rest of his body. He looked to his left and found his arm thrown over Ranma's shoulders. He turned to his right and Akane was in a similar, though slightly more awkward pose due to her shorter height.

His movements must have alerted Ranma.

"Hey man, back in the land of the living?"

Ryoga groaned his agreement, and Akane and Ranma stopped to let Ryoga gather himself. He lifted his sore arms from Akane and Ranma and attempted to stand on his own. Ryoga only stumbled a bit while searching for his balance.

Kasumi came around from Akane's far side and concernedly asked, "Are you alright Ryoga?"

Ryoga shook his head to try and synchronize it with the swaying of the world. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little worn out from using so much chi."

"Yeah, and I'm sure eating a Moko Takabisha didn't affect you at all," Ranma sardonically commented.

Ryoga looked over at Ranma, then followed the other boy's glance down to his own front which he found blackened and scorched. As a watched, a small charred piece of his shirt crumbled off the rest and fell to the pavement below.

"Nah, it's just fatigue," Ryoga dismissed.

Ranma rolled his eyes and adjusted Ryoga's pack that he was carrying for the lost boy.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Akane asked with a concern which seemed at odds with someone still angry with him. "If you need to, you can keep leaning on us."

Ryoga smiled in appreciation for her kindness, but no matter how poorly he felt, he resolved to never take advantage of Akane again. "No thanks, I just need to sit down and rest for a while, and I should be fine."

"Well we're almost home; do you think that you'll be able to hold on until we get there?" Kasumi asked. She had come closer, placing a hand on Ryoga's arm to provide him support, and placing herself between him and her sister.

"Yeah I'll make it. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's walking."

The group set off again, moving slowly for Ryoga's sake, although Akane and Ranma quickly outpaced Kasumi and Ryoga slightly. They walked on in silence and either they had been dragging Ryoga for quite some time, or the empty lot had been quite close to the Tendo Dojo. For in a few minutes they had reached the Tendo home, and Ryoga quickly found himself sitting down at the kitchen table while Kasumi retrieved the much used medical kit. Honestly though, Ryoga was feeling much better for having simply sat down.

"Could you please take off your shirt?" Kasumi hovered over Ryoga with her hands full of wound white bandages. Akane had disappeared upstairs while Ranma had flopped down in the next room, seemingly unconcerned with Ryoga's condition. Although he had positioned himself next to the connecting door, and threw the occasional quick glance Ryoga's way.

Ryoga shrugged out of his shirt, letting its remnants fall to the floor. Kasumi went to work, winding bandages around Ryoga's chest. He wasn't sure what good bandages would do, but they seemed to be a cure all for all the practitioners of medicine in the area. He couldn't complain about having the sensation of Kasumi's nimble fingers ghosting along his chest and sides, dancing across his back. Eventually though she ran out of bandages and tied them off.

"There we are." Kasumi picked up Ryoga's crumpled shirt from the floor. "Now, you just sit there and rest and I'll take care of this." She floated out of the room.

Ryoga sighed and leaned back into the chair, closing his eyes. In truth he only dully ached from the fight with Ranma. The fatigue he felt from his new technique draining his chi was a much larger issue, but he was slowly recharging thanks to resting, and was feeling much better. For some reason the Tendo kitchen felt much warmer and welcoming than the one at his house. In fact he felt much more relaxed and comfortable then he had in weeks. It was as if the Tendo house was more his home than his own house was.

The quiet of the house was broken when the front door crashed open and Soun's voice rang out, "After many arduous trials, we've returned!"

There were several thumps and bangs as Soun and Genma made their way from the entryway further into the house.

Genma found Ranma loafing on the floor and loudly exclaimed, "Boy, I've just traveled across the breadth of Japan, and here you are just lying around. I hope you've been keeping up with your training and not neglecting the art."

"Oh relax old man; I'm better than I've ever been. In fact I just beat Ryoga in a rather good fight today."

Genma snorted. "That Hibiki boy? You think he's a tough fight? Hell back in my day my rivals were twice as big and five times as fast."

Ryoga cleared his throat loudly, causing Genma to turn around. "Oh, Ryoga, you're here. Well, if you'll excuse me, Tendo and I've worked up quite a sweat on our journey and would like nothing more than freshening up before sitting down to a wonderful Kasumi prepared dinner. Isn't that right Tendo?"

"Correct as usual Saotome."

Hastily the two grown men disappeared deeper into the house. Ryoga tried to return to his comfortable state of mind, but was interrupted by the reappearance of Akane as she came down the stairs in more comfortable clothes. She stood nervously at the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and fully entering the kitchen, sitting in a chair next to Ryoga.

"So, that was some fight you had with Ranma," Akane said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Yeah, I almost had him, as usual."

"Well, Ranma is one of the best fighters around," Akane pointed out. She quickly added, "Not that you're bad yourself. In fact I'd say you're one of the strongest fighters I know. I've actually admired how strong you are."

Another awkward silence threatened to settle upon them, Ryoga not sure what his response to Akane's seeming change in mood should be. Akane sighed and looked down at her clasped hands. "Listen Ryoga, I'm not angry at you anymore. I can't say that I approve of what you did, but after hearing what Ranma and Kasumi had to say about it, and thinking it over, I guess I can kind of understand why you did it."

"I'm sorry …"

Akane held up a hand to forestall Ryoga.

"I know. And I accept your apology. As far as I'm concerned, the whole thing is water under the bridge." She looked at him suspiciously, "As long as you don't take advantage of your curse to sneak into my room and peep on me."

Ryoga threw up his hands in protest. "I'd never do that."

"Good." Akane smiled brightly. "Then let's start over as friends."

Ryoga, full of hope, smiled genuinely in response. Kasumi chose that moment to reenter the kitchen, and she paused for a moment upon seeing Akane and Ryoga so close together.

"Hello Akane," she greeted her sister as she strode across the kitchen and began retrieving cooking implements from under counters and drawers. "You're not bothering Ryoga, are you?"

Akane quickly replied, "Of course not. I was just telling him that I'd like to be friends with him again. That conversation we had the other day really made me rethink things."

"That's nice. I'm glad that you two finally made up. Dinner should be ready in a little bit, so if you want to practice, you should probably go and do it now," she hinted.

"Oh, alright, thanks Kasumi." Akane bounced up and with only a single glance back at Ryoga, left the room.

Kasumi bustled around the kitchen while Ryoga relaxed and appreciated the calming noises of Kasumi moving back and forth. She seemed rather content to have a half-naked man sitting at her kitchen table. Ryoga must have fallen into a light sleep, for one moment he was listening to Kasumi lightly humming as she worked and the next a bundle of cloth was being thrust into his stomach.

"Here ya go, I got you a new shirt," Ranma said kindly. "Dinner's ready by the way."

"Oh thanks," Ryoga mumbled out, still groggy from being asleep. He quickly shrugged on the plain white tee-shirt Ranma had given to him and followed the other boy to the dining table. The rest of the families were already gathered together around the table, Ranma and Ryoga slid into the last two empty slots.

As Kasumi began passing out the portions, Ryoga couldn't help but salivate a bit. This was the first real meal that he'd had in several days. Most of the time he subsisted upon instant meals or dinners picked up from the nearby convenience store. He wasn't a bad cook; he just didn't have the urge to prepare a meal when he was the only one to enjoy it.

Not wanting to seem too impolite by staring fixatedly on the food, Ryoga looked around and found that he was seated next to Ranma and across from Akane. Just a few hours ago he would have found such a situation awkward, but with his rivalry with Ranma now mostly friendly, and with Akane having forgiven him for deceiving her, Ryoga felt truly at ease for the first time with all the denizens of the Tendo home. There was no fear of being exposed, no grave insults he had to answer, and no unrequited love causing him to make a fool of himself. Well, at least not the same unrequited love.

He looked toward Kasumi who was seated adjacent to him, and Ryoga found himself becoming enraptured with her graceful movements as she topped off the final rice bowl. It was both wonderful and painful to watch her. Wonderful because she was gracefulness given form, beauty given flesh. Painful because he knew that he would never be able to tell her such things. He'd never be able to share with her his admiration, his love. Ryoga realized now that his love for Akane had never stood a chance, and his love for Kasumi was even more hopeless.

Ryoga sighed.

"Are you alright Ryoga?" Kasumi asked with polite concern. "You're not eating."

Ryoga looked around the table and found that while he had been contemplating Kasumi, everyone else had already started the meal. In fact Genma was almost finished.

"Oh. No, I'm alright," Ryoga assured her. "I was just lost in thought for a minute there." He picked up his chopsticks and with a quick "itadakimasu,' eagerly began eating.

There wasn't much conversation at the table. The Saotomes' concentrations were devoted entirely to the meal, while Soun seemed happy to be home, glad to relax in a welcoming surrounding. Nabiki seemed lost in her own thoughts, but seemed upset over something. Akane kept throwing disapproving glances at Ranma as he shoveled food into his face, but kept her thoughts to herself. Ryoga and Kasumi enjoyed a companionable silence as they slowly enjoyed the meal.

The silence was broken only by a few mundane request for soy sauce, or second and third helpings, until Genma finally ran out of food. Perhaps in an effort to distract Ranma from his meal, or perhaps just to boast, Genma decided to launch into a tale about their recent trip. "So, there we were, resting in a forest after eluding a persistent bunch of villagers who had somehow come to the conclusion that we were thieves. Suddenly the largest boar I've ever seen rushed right past us. Naturally I felt the urge any true practitioner of the art would have felt to test my prowess against such a formidable opponent."

"More like you wanted to see what it tasted like," Ranma dryly commented.

"Quiet boy. Now then, this monster had noticed Soun's and my presence, and perhaps recognized the threat that we presented. It was leaping through the underbrush faster than I've seen any creature so large move."

"That's because there's no mirrors between the shogi board and the dinner table."

Genma continued as if Ranma hadn't spoken. "The creature turned around and began charging us. Tendo felt that we should take to the trees, but I know that a creature such as that had to be firmly dealt with."

Soun spoke up, "I seem to recall that you broke all the low branches on the nearby trees when you tried to climb them."

Genma coughed lightly. "So, I bravely faced the boar and stared it down as it charged, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When the monster was close, too close in fact, when all hope seemed lost, I dealt the creature a mighty blow on the snout which felled it at my feet. Unfortunately before I could claim the prize, the owner of the boar appeared and seemed somewhat upset that I'd defeated her pig. Although she seemed to perk up for some reason when she learned that I was married."

"Wait a minute, was this girl a teenager, brown hair, looks a little like Akane?" Ranma asked.

"Now that you mention it, she did resemble Akane," Genma mused.

Ranma laughed. "That was Akari and her sumo pig." He nudged Ryoga with his elbow. "Hey man, you ever hook up with her?"

"No," Ryoga's reply was frosty.

"Oh well, I guess she wouldn't have been a good girlfriend for you anyway."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, she wasn't a martial artist," he looked to Akane for help.

"What he means is that you're a pretty strong guy and sometimes your emotions get the better of you. I always thought that whoever you ended up with would have to be a pretty sturdy girl. I mean, you can crumble concrete with your bare hands."

"Yeah, and she'd have to be really patient too, what with your sense of direction and all." Nabiki sniped.

Ryoga reddened at the jibes, but remained silent. He couldn't really dispute the truth.

"And we all know you don't have that kind of patience Akane. It's a good thing he never confessed his love to you."

Soun's interest was piqued. "Confess to Akane? Are you in love with my daughter?" he pointedly asked Ryoga with a hint of anger.

"Oh Dad, it was just a crush," Akane explained. "He's over it now, it's not like he was going to marry me or anything."

Again Nabiki chimed in, "Good thing too, could you imagine being married to Ryoga? Not only would you have to wait around for weeks on end to see him, but I think even Ranma has a better education, and that's saying something. Seriously Ryoga, how are you planning on supporting yourself? Are you just going to keep wandering the world, living off the land?"

"Maybe he should become a monk," Ranma suggested with a smile.

"Nah, he should be a wandering martial artist like Caine from Kung Fu," suggested Akane.

Ranma shot her a confused glance. "Who?"

As the conversation moved on to other topics, Ryoga looked up from the table grain he had taken to studying while they had been discussing him. They were right, he was a loser. What hope for love could he really have with so many faults stacked against him?

He looked up and his eyes met Kasumi's. He wasn't sure what his conveyed, but hers were filled with concern and sadness. She reached over and placed her hand on top of his, but Ryoga pulled away and stared down at the food he no longer had an appetite for. Scum like him had no right to even look at, much less touch someone as wonderful as Kasumi.

The meal seemed to drag on forever, but as all things must, it eventually came to an end. Normally Ryoga would have volunteered to help Kasumi clear the table, but he just couldn't feel up to the task that night. He didn't really feel up for anything really.

"Hey man, you wanna go practice in the dojo?" Ranma asked. "We can just do some training, nothing too heavy."

"No," Ryoga said wearily. "I'm still tired from earlier today. In fact I think I'll head home. Maybe we can train together later."

"Oh, okay," Ranma replied sadly.

Kasumi had disappeared into the kitchen, and Ryoga took the opportunity to pick up his pack from the entryway, and sneak out of the house like a guilty burglar. He successfully made it out without being detected, and concentrated on activating his tracking ability. There were several old trails of his from when he had inadvertently come to the Tendo home. He chose one at random and began to follow it into the rapidly darkening evening, made even gloomier by the thick layer of dark grey clouds filling the sky.

He had been walking for perhaps five minutes when he heard rapid footfalls behind him and someone call out, "Ryoga, wait!"

He turned around and was shocked by the sight of Kasumi running to catch up with him. Her hair was in scattered disarray, having worked itself loose from its tie, and her face was flushed from the exercise. Ryoga noticed that she was still wearing her apron and indoor slippers. Concerned, he took a few steps toward her, but she quickly closed the gap between them before he could get too far. She came to a stop close to him, and bent over slightly, breathing heavily from the exertion of running so far. Ryoga discretely turned to contemplate the nearby streetlamp that had just turned on. It was much safer than ogling Kasumi's heaving chest.

"Please, wait, Ryoga," Kasumi gasped. She seemed to catch her breath a bit and continued, "I just, wanted to say that I was sorry. Sorry for what everyone said about you at dinner."

Ryoga shook his head. "There's no need to apologize, it was the truth."

Kasumi seemed distraught as she emphatically replied, "But it's not. You're kind and sweet and intelligent and strong. You're a wonderful person."

Ryoga chuckled in light dismissal. "No, I'm not. I have so many flaws that it might have been better if I hadn't been born. I'm moody, ignorant, stubborn, impulsive, slow, weak, and the one thing that I can do well, I can't even do good enough to consistently beat Ranma. Your family was right, I am a loser. How could I ever have thought that anyone could love me?"

He turned his head to look down at the street, but Kasumi reached out and delicately turned his head until Ryoga was looking down into her bottomless eyes. Hesitantly she admitted, "I … I love you."

Ryoga's world came to a complete halt as he looked down in shock at Kasumi. Somehow the blood in his veins surged while at the same time it felt as if his heart stopped. He was far too stunned to make any sort of reply.

Kasumi blushed darkly, but she continued on, her words flowing as if they had been unspoken for too long, and had built up behind a dam now removed. "I love you Ryoga, and I have for a while now. And … I think, that is I hope, that you love me too."

Kasumi's damply beseeching eyes tore at Ryoga, and her confession flooded his mind pushing aside all thoughts but those of her.

"I do," he defeatedly whispered. He could feel tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "I love you so much Kasumi. I think about you all the time, I want to be with you as much as possible, to talk with you, sit with you, laugh with you. It doesn't matter what we did, as long as I did it with you, I think I could be happy."

Kasumi's face joyfully lit up as Ryoga spoke. But it crumpled in confusion as he continued.

"But none of that matters." His half-lidded eyes struggled to hold back his tears, but he couldn't subdue the chocked sob in his voice. "How I feel for you doesn't matter because no matter how much I want it, I can't ever be with you."

She desperately searched his face as she asked, "Why not? I love you, and you love me. I don't see what the problem is. Unless you still have feelings for Akane …"

"Forget Akane!" Ryoga said savagely. "This is about you and me. You … you're the most wonderful person I know. The most kind, the most loving, the most beautiful, the hardest working… You're amazing. What do I have to offer you? I'm stupid, hell I'm not even sure if I graduated middle school, I'm slow, spiteful, grudging …"

Kasumi interrupted him, "Stop. Stop being so hard on yourself, that's not true at all."

"It's all true. It's taken me this long to figure it out, but my aunt was right, all those kids at school were right. I am a loser. And you, you're the best person I know. You don't deserve to be burdened by someone like me."

Kasumi appeared a little angry as she replied, "Ryoga, you're not a loser. I don't know where you're getting these crazy ideas from, but no matter what you think of yourself, I still love you. If you love me too, then that's all that matters. Yes, you have some rough spots, everyone has flaws, but we can work on them. We can fix them together."

Ryoga let out a shaky sigh before trying to explain one last time. "Kasumi, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm probably the worst thing to ever happen to you. I can only drag you down. Do you know what it would be like if we became closer? We'd be like the Saotomes, with me being a lazy and worthless parasite living off your hard work. I don't want that. I want you to live your life to its fullest, and I don't think that can happen if I'm a part of it. I just want you to be happy."

Tears were freely falling down Kasumi's face, but Ryoga forced himself not to look away from the heart wrenching sight. He owed her that much at least.

"But Ryoga, I'm happiest when I'm with you. I want to be with you all the time. I enjoy being together, even when we just sit around and talk. I like it when we do chores together; I'm happy when we eat together. I want more of that. I want to go where you go, I want to see what you see, and I want to know what you think. For the first time in years I'm truly happy, and it's because of you. I love you, Ryoga."

"You shouldn't," he nearly shouted at her. "There's so many other guys out there who are better than me, better for you than me. Give it time, and you'll forget about me. You'll end up with someone better, someone you belong with."

Kasumi reached out to Ryoga, cradling his head once more. He could see his tears reflecting in her eyes.

"I belong with you," she breathed.

She stood on her toes and closed the distance between them, capturing Ryoga's lips with her own. Ryoga instinctively closed his eyes as he became lost in the sensation of being kissed. Kasumi's lips were soft, yet possessed an intensity which sent an electric current through Ryoga's body. It felt as if the rest of him had disappeared, or become unimportant in the scheme of things. All that was remaining of his being was the single point connecting him so intimately to Kasumi. The only thought left in his mind that she tasted faintly of plums. Tears and plums.

Ryoga had never felt so good, so warm, so accepted. Gently but firmly he pushed himself away from Kasumi, breaking their kiss. Kasumi looked up at him with confusion.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. Without allowing himself anymore time for thinking, for feeling, he turned and began to run away.

"Ryoga, wait." He could hear Kasumi's steps belatedly break into a run after him, and he increased his pace until he was blindly flying down the street. He felt horrible for leaving her behind, but he couldn't risk turning around and going back. He had been so close to breaking. Nearly his entire being had wanted to take the easy path and give in and accept Kasumi's love. Only the slimmest thread of reason had pulled him back from the brink enough to make his escape. But the slightest nudge, the slightest hesitation, and Ryoga knew that he would crumble and fall even further and irrevocably in love with Kasumi.

So he ran, as fast as he could. It didn't matter where to. Above him the pregnant sky finally split open, washing away his tears as well as his humanity. Ryoga barely noticed as he transformed into a piglet. He just kept running, leaving his backpack and clothes behind, while his thoughts and feelings stubbornly clung to him.

Minutes, hours, eternities later, it was still raining but Ryoga had come to a stop. His short legs had tripped over a pothole, causing him to fall roughly into a large puddle. He was so emotionally drained that he couldn't summon enough energy to care too much, so he remained prostrate in the ever deepening puddle in front of someone's house. He lay there, letting the heavy rain pound down on his small frame as he desperately wished for his emotions to disappear.

Abruptly though, he was lifted out of the pooling water by the ribbon he had replaced his bandanna with. He twisted around to see who had picked him up, perhaps someone had kindly come along to put him out of his misery. But behind him he found the familiar color scheme of Shirokuro, from whose mouth he was dangling. His faithful companion carried Ryoga a surprisingly short distance to his house where the sodden duo entered through the back door and left and trail of water all the way to the bathroom.

She set Ryoga down on the cold white tile and padded over to flip the lever for the hot water with her nose. The showerhead came to life and in a few moments the despondent piglet transformed into a despondent boy. Shirokuro whined at Ryoga, but he didn't reassure her, or even talk to her. Instead he simply opened his arms and slipped them around the dog. He buried his head in her fur and tightly held onto her as the shower continued to blast down on them.

Shirokuro accepted the treatment with patience, even going so far as trying to lick the tears off Ryoga's face. But when the water began to lose its warmth, she wiggled in Ryoga's grasp until he let her go. Her abandonment brought Ryoga to his senses, and he realized that the water was no longer hot, but merely lukewarm. Not wanting to change again, he reluctantly rose and turned off the water. He then dried off first Shirokuro, and then himself, after which he donned the spare set of clothes he had taken to storing outside the bathroom.

When he left the sterile comforts of the bathroom, Ryoga heard the telephone ringing incessantly. He slowly walked over to it, but didn't answer it. Instead he calmly watched it for several seconds before reaching out and picking up the whole apparatus and savagely ripping it away from the wall, pulling the cord from the socket. He threw it across the room and with a final discordant ring; it slammed into the far wall and fell to the floor.

In the deafening silence, Ryoga woodenly made his way upstairs to his room. He didn't feel like lying down, he was still too upset to sleep. Instead he sat on the floor and leaned against the side of the bed, pressed against his dresser. After a moment he reached up and retrieved the pillow he could swear still held a hint of Kasumi's fragrance, and squeezed it tightly while burying his face into it and weeping. Hours passed, and Ryoga fell into a fitful and restless sleep.

It was late in the morning when he woke up. He could tell by the bars of light and shadow streaming in from his window illumination the various knick knacks scattered around his room. The trophies of his life, of his failure.

Ryoga felt just as horrible as he had the previous evening, so as the day passed, he stayed in the same spot, wearily running his reddened eyes over the reminders of his travels, trying to remember where he had picked each one up. He didn't even move when Shirokuro scratched at his door with a questioning whine. He just couldn't.

It was around mid-afternoon when there was a brisk knock on his bedroom door and it opened before he could react. In walked Kasumi, wearing a lovely pale red dress and a determined expression. In contrast Ryoga knew he probably looked almost as bad as he felt.

"Kasumi," he croaked out. "How'd you get in?"

"You don't keep the back door locked remember?"

Ryoga turned away. "You should go. I'm not presentable."

Kasumi sighed and walked deeper into the room. "You look fine to me," she declared as she took a seat next to him.

She was tantalizingly close, but Ryoga was hemmed in by his dresser, so he couldn't put more space in between them by scooting over.

"Look Ryoga, I've been thinking about what you said last night, and I think that you might have been a little right."

There was a fierce pain in Ryoga's chest, and he felt like he couldn't breathe, but he knew that it was for the best.

Kasumi pressed on, "You were thinking about the future, and I think that speaks highly of you. You said that you didn't have very many opportunities because you weren't a high school graduate. Well, I went by and picked up some information on the High School Equivalence Test that we can look through. I can even help you study if you want. Or we can look into getting you enrolled in normal classes if you'd like."

Ryoga was stunned and turned to look at Kasumi who was trying to pass him a thin stack of papers. They went ignored as Ryoga asked, "You mean you still want to give me a chance?"

Kasumi sighed and looked down at the papers in her hand. "Ryoga, last night you said that I was a wonderful person. You made it seem as if I don't have any flaws. But that's not true. I have plenty, I'm human after all."

Ryoga was about to vehemently protest, but was silenced when Kasumi placed one of her slender fingers over his lips.

"But that's how you see me, and I'm flattered. However, you should know that I see you the same way. You're strong, compassionate, funny, intelligent, and simply wonderful. I know that you have your problems, like I have mine, but they aren't so big that we can't overcome them. For too long I've lived on the edge of happiness, watching others live their lives. I want it to be my turn to be happy, and you're the only one who can make that happen."

Ryoga gazed into Kasumi's beseeching eyes and carefully pulled her hand away from his lips.

"Are you certain? That you want to be with a loser …"

He was interrupted by Kasumi saying in a stern voice, "No one puts down the one I love, not even you."

Ryoga smiled sheepishly and tried again. "Are you sure then, that I'm the one you want to be with?"

Kasumi smiled tenderly and nodded her head.

With joyful abandon Ryoga let go of his fears, reservations, and sadness. "I love you," he whispered before leaning in and kissing her.

Kasumi pressed herself against him, and Ryoga could feel the warmth and happiness pouring out of her and into him. It felt as if her loved flowed through their lips and into every nook and cranny of his being, forcing out the worn out depression and melancholy that had filled those hollows for so long. He felt stronger than he had ever had before, and he decided that she did indeed taste faintly like plums.

After forever, they pulled apart, Ryoga still dazed. Kasumi glanced down at the papers now scattered across the floor and said, "So I guess we should figure out what our plans for the future should be." She turned to Ryoga. "So tell me Ryoga, what did you want to be when you grew up? And please don't say, 'the best martial artist in the world.'"

Ryoga jauntily smiled and replied, "Well…"

THE END(ish)

expect epilogue soon(ish)

* * *

Did you catch the three lines I stole from Hamlet, and the one I stole from Pride and Prejudice? I regret nothing.

Thanks again to Red Dragonfly for betaing this and turning coal into graphite.

On a related note, I apparently have little to no understanding of how hyphens work. I blame Mrs. Casey my AP English teacher for not teaching me this. Great, now I realize that I graduated from high school eight years ago. I feel old now. Old and sad.

Anyway, thanks CrypticMirror, Shadowda, Scott Pike, Jinnai, FantomoDrako, James Birdsong, Hyuuga Majeh, KaguraTheWindGypsy, FlareX3, Animeaddictanonymous, and vic90 for commenting on the previous chapter.

Sorry this took so long, but I've been spending a lot of time on non-writing things like watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and growing a beard. Growing a beard is actually more difficult than I thought. I have to trim it so I look sophisticated and not like a vagrant, but I trim it freehand (with a safety razor which is a whole other level of fun) which makes it difficult. One side is thicker than the other, so you trim it, then the other side is angled at 35 degrees with the opposite is at 32 degrees, so you trim it again, and so on until you realize you have the nike swoosh on your chin and have to shave it off and start over.

Personal problems aside, this story is over, with the exception of an epilogue. But the epilogue is going to be short, like 3k-5k words short. So don't expect miracles.


	10. But you'll never follow me

I do not own Ranma ½

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A gentle breeze breathed through the thin lace curtains leading out to the wrought iron balcony. The dancing white gossamer glowed in the predawn light as the sun crouched just below the horizon. Kasumi sat at the small table situated amongst the fluttering curtains, contently contemplating the city spread out before her.

She had been up for several minutes, long enough to make a pot of tea, Earl Grey to be exact. Its robust flavor was much stronger than the green tea she had grown up with in Nerima, but it was the weakest that the hotel had to offer. They had ten different types of coffee, but only two varieties of tea. However, such a slight compromise was fine with Kasumi. It was just one of the things one learned to live with when traveling so far from home. You no longer had all the things you were used to, but that meant you were able to experience new tastes and textures you'd otherwise have missed.

The tea chased away the slight morning chill she had begun to suffer from thanks to her thin robe. Below her the city began to come to life. The café across the street was unshuttering its windows, and two young men in matching uniforms and crisp white aprons began setting up tables and chairs in the space before the café's door. Further down the street a small truck rumbled over the cobblestones, packed full of fresh produce.

Behind Kasumi a gentle snore emanated from the bed. An unconscious smile graced Kasumi's lips as she took her hand away from the soothing heat of the cup in order to admire the gold band around her finger. Even after eight months it was something of a novelty to her. There had been times in her life when she had despaired of ever being married, yet here she was, the happiest woman in the world, married to the kindest, most wonderful man alive.

She glanced behind her, but in the dim light of sunrise, all she could see of Ryoga was a vague large lump and a shock of black hair against the white sheets. He was usually up early, but Kasumi was always up earlier. While he had grown up rising with the sun, she had grown accustomed to waking up even earlier in order to perform the daily chores necessary before anyone else woke. Even now, on occasion, she often was halfway out of bed or bedroll, before she remembered that she didn't have to fill up the furo anymore.

Kasumi smiled ruefully at the remembrance of the life she had led back in Nerima. Even after she and Ryoga had confessed to one another, things for her hadn't really changed. The major exception to that being Ryoga's new habit of visiting the Tendo home almost daily, and their spending the weekends together. It had been an apparently subtle change that no one else had noticed for nearly three years. Although that might have been due to the rest of the residents of the Tendo house being oblivious when it came to Kasumi and what she did with her time. They certainly had been shocked when Ryoga had announced his intention to marry her.

The sun broke over Notre Dame in the distance and Kasumi sighed at the sight. She half wished Ryoga was awake to capture the wonderful image, but she didn't want to interrupt his restful slumber. She had to admit that there was something quite soothing about his deep, even breathing while asleep that seemed to instill in her a wonderful sense of peace.

Kasumi sipped her tea and continued to reminisce about the past. The three years following their realization of their mutual love hadn't been entirely smooth. They had disagreed with one another on several issues. Things such as her plan for Ryoga's future versus his plan for hers. She had wanted him to continue his education and eventually find an occupation which would make him happy. Meanwhile she would continue to see after the needs of her family. However Ryoga had wanted her to pursue a college degree while he joined the workforce immediately to begin to build a stable financial foundation for them.

The disagreement had become so heated that they had refused to speak to each other for almost an entire hour. But in the end they had come to a compromise. Ryoga would study for and pass at least the High School Equivalency exam, while Kasumi continued to take care of the Tendo home. However she would begin to take correspondence courses which would provide her college credits, and once Nabiki and Akane had left home, Ryoga and Kasumi would take stock of their situation and decide whether they would go to college.

To tell the truth, while Kasumi had maintained a respectable grade point average throughout her academic career, the thought of going to university somewhat frightened her. The thought of so much specialized knowledge she would be required to memorize by rote seemed intimidating. But she had stayed true to her word and had taken several general courses whose credits were easily transferable.

The other major disagreement they had suffered had been about the speed of their relationship. Kasumi had never considered herself a morally questionable young woman, but even she had come to be frustrated by Ryoga's glacially slow romantic progress. After their first kiss, it had taken her nearly six months before she could coax him into spontaneously kissing her again. Their dates had always been rather mundane compared to the elaborate events which Akane and Ranma's seemed to become, but Ryoga had been very concerned about hiding them from the notice of their acquaintances. So much so that he had crafted complex plans on their meeting surreptitiously and seemingly casually. It had taken almost a year for her to convince him that no one seemed to take notice of what they did enough to draw any conclusions about their romantic involvement.

This had also meant that there had been a disagreement on when they should be married. If the decision had been left to Ryoga, they'd probably still only be engaged while he continued to work tirelessly to earn enough money to feel fiscally secure. Kasumi had thought that a bit over three million yen was a good enough starting point for them to feel stable during the first years of their life together. Especially concerning their rather lucrative career.

It had started out simply enough. Ryoga, with the aid of Kasumi, had passed the High School Equivalency test and, while waiting for Kasumi to feel that she had adequately seen to the needs of her family, had set out to find an occupation which met his rather unique skill set. For the first year and a half he had stayed mostly in the area near Nerima, traveling from construction job to construction job, and from demolition site to demolition site. He found the hours long and the pay low, so he continued to try a variety of jobs which allowed him a certain amount of freedom in case he happened to wander away for a few hours.

Unfortunately, such elastic jobs were difficult to come by, so Ryoga had gradually widened his search, until he was traveling the globe, spending as little money as he could, while working at whatever odd job he could find. During his travels he had taken breathtakingly beautiful photographs of the vistas and famous landmarks he visited. He would send them to Kasumi with a very pretty description, which usually was completely erroneous in its identification of where he actually was.

So Kasumi would research the places he had photographed and would send him a letter informing him of where he had been, giving him precise information, as well as incorporating his pretty descriptions into a rather poetic prose. He had been reading over one of her letters during a long train ride through rural Italy. The wonderful perspectives he had captured in his photography piqued the interest of the man sitting next to him, and a short conversation and lengthy perusal of Kasumi's letter later, Ryoga had been hired as a travel guide writer.

For the next year he had traveled the globe capturing unique photos and jotting down a first impression that Kasumi tempered and added to in order to create equally unique and memorable articles. Their efforts had been well-rewarded, and they had gained an international following with their guides printed in over a dozen languages. Eventually Kasumi had decided that they had enough money, and with Akane and Nabiki gone from home, each pursuing their own dream, Kasumi felt that it was time for her to travel the world with Ryoga. She was frankly tired of being stuck in the same place while he alone globe-trotted.

So they became lost together. Traveling with Ryoga, Kasumi discovered places she had only read about before, and on occasion, they found places she hadn't ever heard of. Their journeys were erratic and the locations published in the articles for the travel guide they now both worked for full-time, were somewhat eclectic. But that was probably part of the charm that attracted so many followers of their articles, more often than not Ryoga and Kasumi's unique manner of travel provided their readers with glimpses of places well off the beaten path. But no matter how lost they became, they never lost one another. Somehow, no matter how far he was, or how turned around he became; Ryoga seemed to always be able to find his way back to Kasumi. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

She had never considered this as a potential career for either of them, but now that they had stumbled into it, Kasumi had to admit that it seemed perfect for them. Perhaps in the future they would settle down in one spot, and would need to pursue more mundane jobs. Maybe they'd have to return to school, maybe they wouldn't. But for right now, Kasumi just wanted to see all the world had to offer, with the best guide she could ever desire beside her.

The bed groaned as Ryoga sat up. His footsteps were muted by the hotel's carpet as he made his way to where Kasumi was sitting.

"Good morning Mrs. Hibiki," he greeted her. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Good morning, dear."

"And what are you thinking about this fine New York morning? You have that little wrinkle between your eyes you get when you're thinking heavily about something."

Kasumi smiled slightly at how lost Ryoga still was as she hotly replied, "I do not. I don't have any wrinkles. But I was contemplating the look on Daddy's face when you asked his permission to marry me."

Ryoga sucked in a short breath as he less fondly remembered the event.

"It was a rather unforgettable face," he admitted. "He was still for so long I thought that I had given him a heart attack. I was kind of glad he seemed so healthy while chasing me. Although I never thought that someone could run that fast in samurai armor. A few times I was certain he was about to catch up to me and cut something vital off."

Kasumi reached up and patted Ryoga's hand.

"But thankfully he didn't, and at least your continuing to shout about how much you loved me while you were running in fear for your life helped convince him that you were sincere. And by the way, we're in Paris, not New York."

"Oh, the city of love, huh? In that case, let me show you just how much I love you, Kasumi."

Ryoga leaned down again, this time his head descending further down, his teeth nipping down the length of Kasumi's exposed neck. She responded by playfully pushing him away.

"You should have had enough of that last night, dear. Besides, we're supposed to go look for your parents today, and if we get started doing _that_ we'd never get out of bed in time. You did say you felt that they were somewhere in the city."

"I can never have enough of you," Ryoga whispered. He did straighten up though and in a more serious tone continue, "But you're right, I did feel their energies close by, less than twenty kilometers from here." He lightly squeezed Kasumi's shoulder. "And I can't wait to introduce them to their new daughter-in-law."

Kasumi leaned her head back and took a moment to admire her husband's sculpted chest as she smiled up at him.

"And I can't wait to meet them. I'm sure they'll have a few ideas for their grandchild's name."

"Yeah, may…" Ryoga jerked his head toward Kasumi, his face becoming pale and his eyes dilating. "You're pregnant?"

Kasumi's smile only grew as she set down the now lukewarm tea. She knew that he'd make an excellent father, whenever they got around to having children.

FIN

* * *

That's it, story's over. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

Once more, thanks to Red Dragonfly for betaing this. Couldn't of done it without her.

Now it's time to let this story sink into the depths of to possibly be found years from now by someone who is really late to the party and has just finished Ranma 1/2 and wondered, "I wonder if there's a story about Ryoga and Kasumi?"

Yes my friend, there is.


End file.
